Fearless
by Annjul414
Summary: High school is not the best life experience when one is at the bottom of the social ladder. Until the right person comes along, changing everything. When two opposites are drawn to each other, crazy and unexpected happens. Sometimes crazy and unexpected are the most rewarding things. Nerdy!Quinn x SoccerCaptain!Santana. AU, OOC.
1. Beginning

**A/N: **These two are so much easier to write in AU. So here we have a silly, light-hearted high school crush story. Q's POV, I try to include very discreetly her thoughts to make it funnier.

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or its characters.  
Inspired by the song "Fearless" by Taylor 'my-queen-of-everything' Swift.

* * *

Invisible. That's how Lucy Quinn Fabray felt walking down the corridors of McKinley High. She moved through the noisy crowds unnoticed, trying to be out of the way as much as possible. Life of an outcast did not bother her, though. She preferred sticking to the shadows instead of shining in the glory of popularity, which apparently seemed to be the only thing that teenagers cared about. The world was going to the dogs.

This was her sophomore year in the typical high school where everyone traditionally was labelled by affiliation to various subcultures. There were nerds, gossipers, hipsters, punks, junkies, musicians, geeks, book worms, and many other groups that she had no name for. Personally, she did not classify herself to any of these – she liked literature, music, running, singing, and writing. Apart from being socially awkward and introverted, the glee club was probably the only thing which directly placed her in the lowest levels of McKinley's social hierarchy.

On the top were the athletes, or rather two different squads of them. Men's football team was not only completely useless, but additionally consisting of jocks who tormented the school. Generally speaking, a sad bunch of bullies in letterman jackets who never won anything. The other group was a far cry from the 'Titans'. Girls' soccer team led by harsh Sue Sylvester was the walking definition of success and majesty, national junior champions playing under the fitting name of 'Lima Panthers'. The trademark of the unstoppable beauties was their cropped, embroidered, skintight black-red jackets and occasional high ponytails which waggled as they energetically glided through the hallways. In the forefront of the team was the captain, who just happened to make an entrance. She reminded herself not to stare too much.

Santana Lopez was in Lucy's eyes the most perfect creature that ever roamed on earth. The tan, slim brunette was everything she was not – dashing, passionate, athletic, popular, silver-tongued, and drop-dead gorgeous. Not to mention the fact that she broke every stereotype about female players. Her long, black hair looked good in any do, her graceful walk could put to shame any dancer, her feminine frame should have been on the magazines' covers. With her exotic complexion she had no need for make-up, although Lucy adored her eyeliners or eye shadows which emphasized the allure of her dark eyes and thick lashes. The only tomboyish thing about Santana was her wardrobe. Despite the fact that usually the 'Panthers' were inseparable from their jackets, she had seen the brunette in various clothing, mostly revolving around grunge and skater style. Checkered shirts and skinny jeans had never looked better to her.

There was more than met the eye though, that she was certain of. Some athletes were dim-witted or mean, yet Santana was special. She felt deep down inside her, that there was something different about the captain. Being on the top of the social ladder, she was bound to be bitchy, snobbish, bossy, and callous. As much as Lucy Quinn witnessed her kicking asses, the angry, pretty hot, brunette's side was usually reserved for those who got on her nerves. From the moment Santana assumed control of the soccer team, which was basically at the beginning of their freshman year, only the jocks remained dumb enough to bully random kids.

To confuse things further, the Latina was not even dense as the other sportspeople. Sharing few classes with her, she noticed that her grades were rather good, the same went for attendance. The biggest mystery was her being single all the time. That was something Lucy couldn't figure out. There was a rule that a queen was supposed to have a king, yet no boy was attached to her hip, ever. Half of the male population at school was intimidated by her, the other half got rejected. The rumor about her dating the womanizer Noah Puckerman went down in seconds as he showed up with another soccer girl.

The blonde wanted nothing more but to get to know her. Santana's aura of mystery was luring her in, but she didn't have enough guts to act on her wishes. She would never have. All she was ever able to do, was to watch the girl from a distance as she walked down the corridors with her teammates.

* * *

After the lessons, she entered the choir room which was already occupied by the glee kids. The club was composed only of several people and each person was strikingly different. Rachel was doing warm-ups with very bored Brad sitting at the piano, Kurt was busy with a fashion magazine, Tina and Artie were gossiping about some new TV show. She sat down next to cheerful Mercedes, who was probably her closest friend from the entire colorful group. The black girl was down to earth, but funny and kind. To kill the time, they chatted on various topics while waiting for Mr. Shuester, who traditionally showed up late.

"Sorry guys for the delay, I was just getting us some new interesting songs to start working on. Everyone's here?" He looked around the room and people took their places to focus on the class. "Great! Before we begin, I'd like to talk with you about this year. It really bothers me that glee doesn't get enough recognition. We could really use more people here." The man placed his case on the table and faced them with interest. Rachel energetically nodded.

"I agree. We cannot perform on any scene in such small group." Mercedes rolled her eyes.

"You only want more people to do backing vocals to your solos."

"That's not true! Well, it is, but at least we could start making appearances, instead of sitting in this classroom." Mr. Shue clapped to get their attention.

"Rachel has a point. I want you to be on the stage, stealing hearts of the audience. You have amazing voices, it's time to show your talent! As much as we are having fun with this private singing, you can do so much more. This year, I want us to participate in Regional Choir Competition, representing our school." That was unexpected.

"What?!"

"Yeah, right."

"This is insane!"

"Not going to happen."

Several voices raised simultaneously while everyone tried to absorb the shocking news. Only Rachel wasn't shaking her head in disapproval, visibly excited about the possibility of a real stage show. The teacher lifted his hands in calming gesture.

"Guys, relax. Before we can even start panicking or thinking about it more thoroughly, we need to pull ourselves together and expand the gang. To have a shot at serious tournaments, we require at least twelve people." People wriggled on their seats. "Do not cross out the chances. We can create together a fantastic choir, full of gifted, brilliant teenagers. I believe there are many more music lovers in this school beside you, and we need to find them."

"Excuse me, but how exactly do you want to do that? It's rather obvious that glee is considered the lowest level of looser-hood. Nobody cares about us." Artie stated with a sceptic look. Truly, the voice of reason.

"That's true. Even the knitting club has more members." Kurt admitted, staring into space.

"Finding six singers in McKinley will be a challenge."

"There is no need for professionals. Anyone capable of singing is welcomed to join us and improve. Remember, when we started, it really didn't sound that good. Practice makes perfect. Maybe some dancers will be interested, we will have to arrange a choreography, in addition to the songs." Mr. Shue pointed out, encouragement written all over his face.

"We already did enlistments many times."

"Then we need to put more effort into it. The best promotion of glee would be a performance in front of the entire school. Showing that choirs are great, fun, and giving everyone a chance to shine." They glanced between themselves, unconvinced. Yes, definitely a bad idea.

"And we could end up being shunned. Honestly, I prefer singing to ourselves in auditorium than being publicly humiliated."

"Why so pessimistic? They will love you because you will be amazing. So, you know what to do – try to recruit some people into our cause. We will think about the show in the other week. For now, let's focus on the songs I chose for today."

She had her doubts about the performance as well because somehow the idea of singing on the scene for audience was not thrilling at all. Despite concern, she kept her mouth shut and concentrated on the class, learning the new rockabilly numbers.

* * *

She returned home in the old-school red Chevrolet, the gift of her parents for the 16th birthday. The house was located in pretty decent, very suburban region mainly consisting of small houses and local businesses. When she pulled at the driveway, she noticed an elegant, European sedan she had never seen before. Nobody told her about any visitors, and she wondered who it might have been at this dinner hour. She entered the unlocked house, leaving her backpack in the hallway.

"Dad, mom, I'm home!" The common room was empty. The sudden, soprano voice behind her startled her to death.

"Isn't it my favorite little sister?"

"Frannie!" She turned around to run into the woman's arms with a wide smile.

"I'm happy to see you too."

They pulled away and she took in the sight of her older sister. Frances was at least feet taller than her, more athletic and curvy, yet of same pale complexion and blonde, long hair. They shared similar jawlines, cheekbones, and straight noses, but her sister's eyes were cold-blue, instead of dark green. She was wearing fairly womanish clothes and looking really mature. Lucy forgot that she was no longer that carefree college girl whom she remembered.

"What are you doing here, why didn't you call that you're coming?"

"Because she's spontaneous like usual." Their father appeared in the room, smiling at them. "Let's sit down and discuss everything at dinner. It's almost ready." He pointed at the prepared table. "Hey kid, how was the school?" Russell casually ruffled her hair and she grumbled incoherently under her breath, excusing herself to the bathroom.

Having washed her hands and face, she fixed her hair back in a messy ponytail, observing the reflection in the mirror. She was happy that the worst puberty phase was behind her, and the effects were rather good. Not astonishing, for she never considered herself pretty, but her actual look beat the pre-high school one. Her body was slimmer, her teeth straight white, her skin light and soft. The two things that she remained very conscious of in her appearance were her legs and the bottom, which she tried to hide under the skirts as much as possible. With a sigh, she put on her a little too big, full framed glasses and left the bathroom to join the family.

"Here you are, we wanted to start without you. Sit down sweetheart and eat, before it gets too cold." Her mother glanced at the empty chair next to Frances. "We are all together again, isn't that wonderful?" She asked, smiling.

"So, what's with this sudden visit, F?" The youngest blonde inquired, passing the dishes.

"That came off unplanned. You see, just a while ago Mark surprised me by saying that he is sent on some delegations for over two weeks, somewhere in the middle of Europe. I decided that I might as well stay and seize the opportunity to visit my long-time-no-see family." Mark was her husband whom she had known since high school. He worked for a huge trade enterprise in Philadelphia, where they lived.

"You gonna stay here for a while, right?" Everyone exchanged smiles and Frances nodded.

"For a while."

Lucy chuckled, it was good to have her sister back, even for a short period of time. The home felt warm. Sometimes dull and over quiet, but still, she loved everything about it. The loud commentary of her father while he watched the baseball game. The quiet humming of her mother while she read the magazines. The laughter filling the room while they played charades. The peaceful Sundays spent outdoors. Little things like fresh flowers in the vase, business papers on the tables, morning broadcasts of classical music. Even quarrels about scattered clothes or dirty plates. If she was ever asked what the best thing in her life was, she would honestly answer that her family.

* * *

For such small town, Lima had definitely a lot of teenagers. The school was possibly the most overcrowded place during the morning hours, which she discovered too many times at the parking lot or in the corridors. She just wanted to get once – once – to her locker without being pushed and elbowed, but it seemed like a wishful thinking. Clutching to her chest books and study materials, the blonde bashfully maneuvered through the horde to finally find herself in more open space. The locker was in her line of sight, but before she reached it, the sudden punch on her arm from behind made her drop the things on the floor. Again.

"Watch where you going, sister." The bulky guy in the red jacket called out over his shoulder as he passed her. She knelt to gather her dispersed writings, not bothering to give him a second glance. People were constantly moving around her as she struggled to collect the papers back into the case. Keeping her head down with strands of hair framing her face, she didn't notice the presence in front of her.

"Let me help you." The smooth voice spoke near her. She could have recognized that clear alto everywhere.

In a frozen stance, she lifted her gaze very slowly to look at the person opposite her. _The _Santana was picking up half of her materials and Lucy had to really focus on doing her best not to freak out. With controlled breathing, she examined carefully her face, taking advantage of her diverted attention. She had never seen her so close before. Dilemma – what was prettier, her lips or her eyelashes?

"Don't mind the football guys. They are jerks, at least few of them." Santana gathered her stuff and looked at her with a small smile. She decided that it would be smart of her to finally respond in any way.

"Uhm, thank you. I usually try to avoid them." They stood up and the blonde nervously smoothed her hair, hoping her cheeks were pale instead of red. She couldn't hold the other girl's stare.

"I believe that's yours." The brunette passed her the materials, glancing at the cover of _The Awakening _by Kate Chopin, lying on the top. "Good book." She commented approvingly, and with a small wave of the hand, left.

Lucy Quinn didn't move an inch, her eyes following the black jacket until it disappeared around the corner. She tried to comprehend what just happened. This was the day that she had to mark on the calendar when she returned home.


	2. Game

**A/N: **I hope you don't mind fast-going chain of events. I don't want to beat around the bush with this one. Sorry for the delay, my life is a mess right now.

Disclaimer: Glee is not mine. *crying*

* * *

She wasn't searching Santana's eyes, it wasn't like that at all. These were just casual looks thrown around whenever she was nearby or even when she wasn't. There was nothing wrong with staring, no, _glancing_ at people. Or rather at one person. That wasn't considered stalking or anything.

"What's going on with you? You've been all fidgety for the entire week." Mercedes whispered as they were sitting in the lunchroom during the extended break.

"What do you mean? I'm fine." Lucy answered, focusing her running eyes on the girl beside her.

"I can feel you twitch from the distance." Kurt noted, opening the sandwich bag.

"I'm just in a good mood. I have a feeling it's gonna be a special year." She smiled and they exchanged confused glances.

"I don't know. This whole glee expansion thing Mr. Shue told us about? I don't see that happening. McKinley really lacks the music spirit."

"That's true, but maybe the freshmen – " The blonde broke off, spotting the red group hovering near the vending machines. Kurt and Mercedes looked in the direction she was staring in with interest.

"They shouldn't walk in groups. Too much hotness at the same time." The diva commented, as they observed the sports crew.

Lucy recognized mohawked Puck, the quarterback Finn Hudson, and one goofy guy whom she certainly had seen but she couldn't remember his name. Tim… Adam… William… Not important, since next to the familiar, tall blonde from the soccer team stood Santana, rocking adorably on her heels with hands in the pockets. Her hair was hanging freely in curls, black worn jeans hugged her legs, and she wore a casual, short sleeved buttoned shirt with a matching pair of Vans. Everything was simple, yet effective. It should have been illegal to look that good.

"Hello my musical friends, how is your day?" Rachel smiled widely, carrying the tray, and sat down at their table.

"We're entertaining ourselves with quite a view." Mercedes giggled and punched Lucy's arm. She reluctantly looked away from the group to focus on her salad. The brunette picked her ears.

"Oh? Who are we talking about?" She looked the indicated way and immediately collected herself. "Finn is… nice."

"He seems okay, Sam is a cute pie though. Just look at his fringe and those dimples." The black girl chuckled again. _That _was his name.

"All of them are incredibly good-looking." Kurt observed, glancing between the players without any shame.

"Guys, could you be… a little more discreet, perhaps?" The blonde brushed aside the strands of hair. They turned towards her.

"Come on, spill who's your type." Mercedes playfully stated and Rachel's cheerful eyes settled on her. She shook her head.

"No one." Judging by their faces, they didn't buy it.

"You must like someone!"

"No… No, I don't." She adjusted her glasses, not lifting the gaze above the table. That didn't sound very convincing.

"Sure, sure." Her friends laughed and resumed the chatter, gossiping about the athletes.

The blonde, like under the spell, carefully looked up across the area to glimpse at Santana once more, yet this time, the other girl caught her peeking. She averted her eyes in a flash, hoping that it didn't look the way it did.

* * *

The rest of the day she spent with her sister, catching up on their lives. She had missed her support, sense of humor, and optimism. Frances was always full of energy and easy-going, in contrast to her. They wandered around the park aimlessly, talking about the school, movies, and hobbies. Her sister reminded her of Santana in many ways, mainly because she used to lead the 'Panthers' as well, although on different positions. She was the center midfielder while Santana was the main striker. Lucy's sudden interest in football was accidental, growing up with a star like her sister obliged her to know such things. Totally.

"Speaking about the school, how's my team, does Sylvester still coach?" Frannie asked, patting the bench which she sat on.

"Yes. It's good." She tried not to think about it too much, because her mind went to strange places when someone talked about soccer. "Not sure how it was before, but now it's doing really great. Perhaps even better than in your time."

"That's not possible. During my captaincy, we won every championship." The blonde replied immediately, narrowing her eyes.

"Since my freshman year, the team hasn't lost a single game. Occasional draws."

"Are you serious? The coach must torment them to get such results." Frances seemed impressed.

"Maybe. See for yourself. They have a home game this week, we could go." That was an innocent suggestion to spend some time together, nothing more. Seeing Santana play for ninety minutes was only a bonus. Only.

"I'd like that. I really miss it all, I haven't been to any match in a while. Mark prefers watching them at home, lazy ass."

They switched to the family topic, watching the kids run around the playground. It was a sunny autumn, which was a nice change. Her scarf waved on the wind, yet it was warm and refreshing.

* * *

Glee's morning class was dragging on as she listened to Kurt and Rachel's musical performance. She was offered to sing as well, but she didn't feel confident enough to have a solo. Backing vocals were sufficient for her, which she couldn't say the same about the other club members. They were already fighting about parts and songs for the school spectacle.

"Guys, calm down. You are a team, you perform together and each one of you is important. I'll make sure that everyone who wants to demonstrate their skill, gets the opportunity to do so. But the most important thing about an excellent choir is cooperation, unity. So instead of arguing, focus on having fun. Because that's one of the reasons we're here." Mr. Shuester declared, trying to resolve the tension.

The rest of the practice went smoother, and after a while she left the classroom to have some time to rerun the material for the upcoming test. When she opened the locker, out of the corner of her right eye she noticed two familiar figures, standing across the hallway. Santana was chatting with Brittany, rather strange, but nice girl whom she shared a few classes with. They must have been real close friends, considering how many times she had seen them together. She peeked out from her opened locker, and simultaneously the brunette locked her gaze with hers. This time Santana definitely saw her, and no hiding behind the door would help her. The most sensible option was to pretend that nothing happened, close the locker, and take off in the left direction. She proceeded to do so, grabbing the textbook.

"Hey." At the unexpected voice next to her, the blonde nearly jumped. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." The brunette sounded amused.

"Uh… hello." She faced the other girl, red from embarrassment. Santana's expression was gentle and slightly curious. Her warm, dark eyes made her feel nervous.

"Last time I didn't introduce myself, which is kinda rude. Santana Lopez, sophomore. Although you probably know it." With a jolly eye-roll, she reached out and they exchanged handshakes.

"I'm –"

"Lucy Quinn Fabray, also the second year." She wasn't certain which she liked more, the fact that Santana knew her full name or the way it rolled off her tongue. "You live few houses away, your sister is a legend, our dads play golf together, we go to the same church and share several classes. It's strange we haven't talked before."

"I prefer keeping to myself." Her hushed tone and glancing around were the proof of that. She discreetly smoothed out her clothes, which was one of the things she did in nervous situations.

"So I've noticed. I hope you don't mind my imposing on you. Hey, can I call you Quinn? Such rare, fancy name. I think it fits you." That was an obvious question at which she widened her eyes.

"Y-yes, if you'd like that. And thanks." She really needed to brush up her talk. Santana smiled.

"Well then, Quinn, I don't know if you like soccer, but we – my team – have a big match tomorrow evening and everyone is invited. It would be cool if you showed up."

"I was planning to. I'm not a sportsperson, but I like to watch. I m-mean… games, live." The brunette cracked a grin, and she bit her lip in humiliation. That wasn't awkward at all.

"Great. Sorry for stealing your break time, you obviously wanted to prepare for the classes. I'll leave you to it." Santana remarked, fixing the bag that was hanging on her shoulder.

"You're not bothering me." Not in the slightest. "It was nice talking with you."

"Same here. I hope we'll do that more often from now on, Q." For a moment Lucy zoned out, questioning her hearing.

"So do I. Good luck with the match." She eventually replied, while the brunette took few steps in the opposite direction.

"Thanks, but I don't need it. We're going to crush them." With a cocky smile she waved her goodbye.

The blonde stood by her locker, attempting to gather her thoughts and stabilize her breathing. Everything went better than she expected. Santana didn't seem to take her for an idiot, which was a huge confident boost. Moreover, she certainly expressed her wish to be in touch. Life was good.

* * *

Saturday went by as she concentrated on writing another chapter of her story. Writing was something she had picked up accidentally and treated as leisure activity. It wasn't ambitious or professional, she didn't even share it with anyone, but it gave her satisfaction and relaxation. The evening came quickly and before she realized, her sister was driving to the town stadium, where all games were held. Frances was questioning her about the teams, voicing her aversion to 'Columbus Spears', which were their regular opponents.

"I can't believe those bitches still play. They should have been disbanded years ago." Quinn shrugged.

"Maybe they've changed."

"Yeah, right. If the same asshole coaches them, their style remained the same. Sloppy and disrespectful." She glanced at her briefly. "Why are you always dressed like that?" The younger blonde frowned, hearing her complaining tone.

"What's wrong with my clothes?"

"They are preppy. You look like you go to Catholic school or something. You are a beautiful girl, try to show it a little." Her sister suggested, and she looked down at her collared shirt and pleated blue skirt.

"I like it this way."

"I'm not forcing you to totally change your style, but try mixing it up a little. Add pants, vests, jackets. Some casual stuff. You never know what you may like. Trust me when I say that some people look better in certain clothes."

"I don't need to look good."

"Why? Don't you want to get a date?" She rolled her eyes at her logic.

"If I change, I will never meet anyone who would like me for who I really am. Let's just drop it." Frances looked at her in contemplation, but nodded.

They pulled at the parking lot which was rather occupied. The open-air games were usually free of charge, and as a result bleachers were full of dressed up supporters, holding banners and accessories. They squeezed through the cheering crowds to take the seats in the lower regions of the 'Panthers' fans' area. Quinn was surprised that so many people actually came. Soccer was not very popular, especially women's. Perhaps Lima's great achievements established more fans than football did.

"_Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome at the league quarterfinals! Tonight, we are to witness the fight between two top Ohio teams for the privilege to qualify for the national tournament. There can only be one winner. Who will represent our state in the championships? Let's give it up for the players!" _The commentator announced through the speaker, and loud roars filled the air.

Both crews appeared on the pitch, lining up on opposite halves. They stood in two rows in silence, facing each other as the referees walked to the center. The Columbus team had traditional yellow-white set, 'Panthers' kit was slightly different. The sleeves of their wildly red V-neck tops were shorter, the black bottoms were loose and longer. Quinn easily spotted number nine, by the white sports hair bend Santana wore.

"_On the left side, current champions, relentless girls straight from hell under the command of Sue Sylvester, Lima Panthers! In front of them, veterans of the league, sharp as harpoon squad coached by Amanda Jenkins, Columbus Spears! The main referee for this game is Tony Carroll."_

"Just as I thought, freaking Jenkins. Not gonna be pleasant." Frannie muttered, while they observed the field.

"What do you mean?"

"They play dirty, she likes the brutal tactic." The teams exchanged greetings and two captains gathered with referees to start the game. "Whoa! That dark-haired girl is the captain? She's tiny." Her sister noted with shock and the young blonde laughed.

"Yeah, but wait and see. She's really fast." Quinn recalled in her mind Santana's moves from the past matches.

The loud signal began the show and the ball was passed between the players. First several minutes were uneventful while both teams tried to unsuccessfully move past the defense. The away crew was harsh but careful, keeping the ball as long as possible. The black-red players were more fluid and creating many opportunities to score, from the distance, midfield, wings, or from close range. Their coach was already nervously pacing near the lines.

"_Panthers attack from the left wing, Martin runs like crazy, getting closer to the box! Long cross to Lopez, waiting in the middle. She decided to pass smoothly between the defenders to Adams who ran into the open, what a technique, Adams bypasses Carter, SCORE! We have the first goal! WONDERFUL shot in the right corner by Adams, assisted by her captain. What a rapid action!" _Reporter yelled over the masses and Quinn found herself hugged to death by her sister, who was far gone into the match fever.

The Columbus's response was immediate. They started fierce assaults on the goal, but nothing about their strikes was graceful. In the last ten minutes of the first half 'Spears' received two yellow cards, however, that didn't hold them back, and ultimately they leveled the score.

"_Robinson fooled the central defense and scores equalizer! This game is getting more interesting with every minute."_

"I saw that coming. Our team has excellent middle, but the center-backs make mistakes. We need to win by attacking, not defending." Frances commented when the half-time break was called.

"They will win, don't worry."

"Pretty optimistic, aren't you?" She smiled at her question.

"I just have faith." Especially in one person.

"_The second half is on. For now, the draw provides no winner. We can only hope that it will change soon."_

The first quarter of an hour was quite emotional, considering how many times the ball missed the net. The girls from Columbus were maintaining their possession strategy, yet it seemed to falter with every unexpected move. McKinley's midfielders pressed fiercely from every side and the goal was hanging in the air. Every time Santana had the ball, the crowds went insane.

"_On the right wing, number nine pushes through the Spears without any difficulty. My God, that girl can play! Parker tries to win back the ball, no effect. Lopez dodges the defense as they were motionless poles."_

"You were right. Her dribbling skills are impressive." Frances voiced, watching the captain's fast movements on the field. Quinn was internally bursting with pride.

Santana exchanged a few passes with her teammates to suddenly run straight into the penalty area, getting a better position to shoot. Her attack was interrupted by the hurried slide tackle of one of the defenders who knocked her out by crashing into her legs. The fans yelled with outrage, Sue Sylvester looked like she was ready to tear someone apart.

"_What an ugly foul! That deserves at least yellow card. Barnes violently tackled Panthers' striker, hitting her instead of the ball. Lopez is still lying on the grass, it doesn't look good."_

The blonde froze in panic. People stood up to look at what was going on the field. The players and the referee encircled the brunette who was holding on to her leg, evidently hurt from the collision. Some of the girls started arguing among themselves, and the tension rose to dangerous levels. The unfair defender received the card and the lecture, Santana raised her hand to indicate she was fine. Quinn sighed with relief.

"_Fortunately, the player seems to come out of this nasty encounter without serious harm. The referee justly gives the penalty."_

Santana got on her feet and the supporters enthusiastically cheered. With a few stretches, she calmed down her team, and placed the ball eleven meters from the goal. The referee cleared out the area, signaling the striker and the goalkeeper to prepare. The Latina took the position in front of the tall Columbus player, looking really menacingly. Every person on the stadium held their breath, waiting for the course of events. The whistle blew.

She took a few small steps back, only to swiftly close the distance between her and the ball in one quick movement, which sent the ball directly between the goalposts. The keeper made the wrong decision to lunge herself to the right.

"_Second goal for Panthers! Flawless penalty kick, keeper stood no chance!" _Two blondes screamed along with the overjoyed crowds while the Lima team celebrated the score. The coach herself raised her fist in the triumphant gesture.

Less than twenty minutes was left to the end of the game which got even more intense. The Jenkins's squad couldn't leave their half of the field, yet McKinley's girls' attempts were coming to nothing. After missed headers, crosses, corners, and direct free kicks, the final score was 3:1 for the Lima team, since in the last minutes Santana scored a powerful long-range goal.

"That was a good game. I haven't had the pleasure to watch any live event for some time. You had a brilliant idea." Her sister declared on their way to the car. "Hey, while we wait for people to spread out, let me talk with the coach for a second."

"Sure, I'll wait here." She stood by one of the exits, watching Frances disappear into players' area.

The evening was pleasantly warm, windless with clear sky. Occasional fans hung around the place, still excited by the match. Athletes began leaving the place and she noticed in the McKinley group Santana, who changed her sports kit into shorts and casual blouse. The brunette parted with her teammates and approached her with a smile on her face and bounce in her step. Quinn couldn't believe that she had any energy left after so exhaustive activity.

"Hey, you came." The way she greeted her was plain, yet the blonde suddenly got so many dirty puns and replies in her head that it astonished her. Such thinking was unusual for her.

"H-hi. I told you I would."

"So, what did you think ?" She asked almost hesitantly.

"Of the match? It was great. You were amazing." Blurting out those words were totally worth Santana's reaction as she beamed brighter than the stadium's lights. Quinn felt her face burn.

"Thanks. There were tough moments, but defeating them was priceless."

"How are you? That foul was really nasty." She noticed the bruise on her leg and frowned with worry. The brunette shrugged.

"Nah, it's nothing. That kind of stuff happens in every game, even worse."

"I'm glad you're okay."

They smiled at each other and she could feel herself relax. Standing so close to Santana she recognized that her sister was right to some extent, underestimating the captain's abilities. She indeed looked petite, especially with the huge sports bag which slung over her shoulder.

"Hey, San!" They turned towards the loud voice to see Brittany skipping in their direction. "There you are, everyone has been asking about you." The Latina groaned with a heavy sigh.

"Can a person get a little bit of rest these days?"

"It's about the party." The tall blonde looked at Quinn and smiled. "Hello."

"Hey." Having witnessed their greetings, Santana gave the impression that she was mentally slapping herself.

"Right, sorry. Quinn – Brittany, Brittany – Quinn. You must have seen each other." They nodded, exchanging handshakes.

"Oh, you're the girl San was talking about." The blue-eyed girl cheerfully stated and Quinn almost heard every single of her grey cells scream to hold 'the-hell' up.

The tense implied multiplicity of indicated action. Talking… what, why, how, when. That was the kind of situation which she was never able to cope with. She started nervously playing with her hair, certain that she wore the most peculiar expression, trying to comprehend the sentence. The brunette, on the other hand, was deadpan as if someone had told a very bad joke. Silence fell between them.

"Britt. The party. What about it."

"What party? ... Ah! The whole team is invited to Lizzy's, this night. We should go!"

"Tonight? Hell no. Sorry, but you've gotta tell'em to celebrate without me. This night I intend to spend in bed. As well as tomorrow." Brittany's face fell.

"It could be fun."

"I'm really sorry B, but I'm worn out. Another time maybe?"

"Okay. I will let them know not to wait for you. Pinky promise to go to the next one, though." She smirked and Santana chuckled.

"Sure, pinky promise." Quinn smiled to herself at their interaction.

"I gotta go. It was nice meeting you. Bye!" She waved at them, prancing away.

"Likewise, bye."

"See ya." The brunette faced her when Brittany left with the teammates. "Spirited, isn't she?"

"Quite. Why didn't you want to go?"

"On the scale from 'meh' to 'wtf' how much would you be surprised to hear that I'm not that much of a party person as everyone seems to think?" She asked jokingly. "Despite the fact that I'm ready to drop any second, there are some days when I just prefer to stay in. It's not like I mind living it up from time to time, cause God knows I love having fun, but not always by drinking like a fish. And that's what usually parties are about."

"I don't think so." The blonde replied after a while.

"Huh?"

"I don't think you are a party person." Santana smiled at her warmly and she could sense her heart melting.

"Thanks." They were still standing in the stadium area, but none of them brought it up. Quinn didn't mind waiting for her sister like that for another hours. Or days. "Hey, do you have a ride?" In that moment she wished she didn't.

"Yes, I'm good, thank you." She was aware that Santana asked purely out of courtesy, yet she couldn't help but keep her fingers crossed that there was actually a gleam of hope vibrating in her question.

"Oh. Well then, have a nice weekend." Her voice did drop. Success. "See you on Monday." Taking for granted. Double success.

"Nice weekend to you too. Bye." With one last smile, the tan girl headed for the parking lot. Several seconds later, Frances appeared by her side.

"Sorry for keeping you wait so long. To my surprise, Sylvester was in the chatty mood so we exchanged a few words. I hope you didn't die of boredom here."

"Not at all."


	3. Homework

**A/N:** For a minute there, in frustration, I really wanted to drop all writing. But then glee spoilers of this season hit me, and I was like "screw this, I'm going back to fanfiction".  
Anyway, most of the scenes will be quinntana-centric, let me know if you prefer some additional content. Feel free to voice your opinions.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

"I spent the whole weekend brainstorming to come up with appropriate song for the performance. I came to conclusion that the best option would be a mash-up of some classic musical tune with a contemporary one. Everything included, slow parts, fast parts, epic solo – this one reserved of course for me – all wrapped up in a beautiful choreography." Rachel was prattling away as they left the classroom, lost in her own world. Quinn exchanged a bored look with Tina.

"Don't you think it's a little too early to talk about it? We don't have a place, date, or anything else to work with."

"I'm just forward-thinking. We need to start working on it now if the effect must be spectacular enough to encourage people to join glee. This is a very serious issue that we cannot disregard." The brunette remarked, observing them with firmness. Tina almost snorted, while the blonde sighed defensively.

"Until Mr. Shuester decides otherwise, let's just leave it. I have English now, see you after classes." Without listening to any replies, Quinn took off in the direction of her locker.

Having switched her notebooks, she entered the opened classroom where few people were already sitting and chatting. She walked to her desk in the second row, looking at the last seats by the wall. Santana was murmuring with some redhead girl, who was not very familiar to her. The brunette raised her gaze, and upon noticing her mouthed 'hello'. She was about to get up, but in the exact moment the teacher arrived. Quinn waved at her and sat down, preparing for the lesson. First of all, she had to calm down and scold herself for being so influenced by a simple 'hello'.

As much as she liked Mrs. Turner and literature classes, she was absent-mindedly writing the notes down. Lately, she had been having problems with concentration and she refused to link it with any specific reason. That wasn't by any means denial. After ten minutes of obliviousness, she turned her head very carefully to the right to peek at Santana who smirked at her. Within milliseconds Quinn looked away to focus on the piece of paper in front of her. Smooth. That grin of hers was pretty affecting and she had to cool her cheeks down with her hands.

"Miss Fabray, please concentrate on the lesson. You seem really distant today." Unexpected, loud voice rang through the room and she nervously looked up at the teacher. "Oh, so you are still here. Good. Could you tell me then, what was called the post-World War I generation?"

"Ernest Hemingway named it the lost generation."

"Correct. Do pay attention from this moment, please." The teacher sent her a serious look before returning to the lecture. That was close.

For the rest of the lesson she could feel the pair of eyes on her, yet she was persistently trying to direct her attention to the ongoing class. At long last the bell rang, but they were stopped from leaving.

"One more thing. I'm giving you two weeks to prepare a quick presentation on what we've already done. It could be anything, as long as related to literature. Themes, specified author, symbols, genre, popular topics of given period… be creative, do some research, but most importantly, include your knowledge. You can do it on your own, in pairs, in groups. Feel free to consult with me about your ideas. That's all for today." People hurriedly stood up and walked out.

Quinn was gathering her stuff, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She faced very smug Santana, who this time had straight hair, narrowed cuffed pants, and sports jacket.

"Hi. How's your day?" She asked casually.

"Decent. Yours?"

"So far awesome." They stood on the corridor and the blonde anxiously gripped her books, well aware of the curious glances thrown in their direction. The brunette's smile turned a bit uneasy. "I was thinking… maybe we could do the project together? Just once I'd love to work with someone brilliant as you, instead of doing everything on my own like it usually is when they gave us work in groups. I'm not so dumb myself, so we could totally ace this stuff –"

"Yes." She blurted out in the middle of Santana's babbling, and the brunette widened her eyes.

"Yes?"

"Yes." Quinn nodded with a coy smile. The other girl beamed at her.

"Sweet." She took out her phone. "Give me yours and type in mine."

"When do you want to start?"

"Well… the sooner, the better." There was something thrilling in her low tone.

"How about tomorrow late afternoon?"

"Perfect. I'll text you about the exact hour. Is your house okay?"

"Sure." Santana looked up at her, and she felt like there was no one else around them.

"I guess till the next time. We'll be in touch."

After goodbyes, they went in the separate directions. Quinn intensely disbelieved her recent good fortune. The week turned out to be a proof that God existed and He loved her. She swore never to be angry again if someone pushed her.

* * *

She couldn't refrain from smiling for the entire day. Having dismissed the thoughts that it must have looked pretty strange, she continued grinning to herself, while opening the doors of the choir room. Her cheerful expression fell as soon as she noticed tall boy standing next to Mr. Shuester. With a disbelieving look, the same which every other person had, she walked across the room to take her seat beside her shocked friends, who stared at Finn.

"What's going on?" Quinn whispered to Kurt.

"No idea."

Rachel was almost shaking with excitement, smiling widely at the scene in front of them. The quarterback appeared to be nervous and uncomfortable when the teacher turned towards his class.

"Good news glee! We've got a new promising club member. Please welcome warmly Finn Hudson." They clapped and the blonde was sure that she heard a quiet 'you've gotta be kidding me' coming from Mercedes. "This might be a little bit surprising to you, but Finn can actually sing and he will be a very valuable male voice to our group."

"Even if you can sing, why a popular guy like you would want to join us?" Artie asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I was kinda blackmailed into doing this. Don't ask." Finn replied with a stupefied expression.

"Good enough for me. As long as you make some effort, it could actually work." Mercedes commented and the rest nodded their heads.

"If I may add – this is fantastic. Not only do we have another singer, but this is exactly what we need for the positive presentation. Having someone so well-known will show other students that choirs are for everyone and singing is awesome. Finn will be our promotional material." Rachel beamed while the room fell silent.

"I'm not sure that I'm fine with that." The boy murmured, ignored.

"You have a point, Rachel." Mr. Shue faced him again. "I do hope that you will bring something more to the club than just singing, Finn. Most importantly, that you will enjoy your time here and stay voluntarily, not as a punishment."

"This is the first time I heard her say _awesome_." Kurt whispered with confusion, and Quinn sighed.

Things were getting more interesting with every day.

* * *

Lying on the bed with a good book was her idea of evenings. She always preferred to have alone time as much as possible to relax, especially after such eventful days. Closing the book with a frown, she stared at the ceiling, feeling the uneasiness in each nerve of her body. She couldn't explain her inner tension or the way her eyes seemed to return every minute to stare at the phone on the desk.

It was tempting, she had to admit it. Since coming home, there had been a few times that she considered writing a simple message to Santana, but she didn't want to create the impression that she was clingy. Everything seemed to be going so well, and bizarre behavior would only ruin things. Better safe than sorry. The blonde sat on the edge, her fingers brushing the touchscreen. The phone rang all of a sudden, making her heart jump. Upon seeing the caller's id, she didn't know whether to laugh or to be flustered. Thinking of the devil.

"H-hello?" That sounded pathetic.

"_Quinn?"_ Even the telephone line couldn't impair her smooth voice.

"Yes?"

"_It's… Santana. I was just checking if the number is correct. My phone… uhm, loves doing typos. Yeah."_

"Everything appears to be alright."

"_Cool." _She paused and Quinn wondered what she was thinking. Probably concentrating hard on what to say, just like she was. Although, the brunette didn't seem to be that type of person._ "So, in case we don't see each other tomorrow, I wanted to make sure that we're still set for the afternoon."_

"Of course. As long as you can make it."

"_I will, cause I don't have a training or whatever else. Okay then. Have a nice evening and see you later."_

"Thanks, so do you. Goodnight."

"_Night."_

After several seconds, the line went silent. That girl would be the end of her.

* * *

The next day passed in a blur. She didn't see or hear from Santana, but remembering the call made her calm down in the conviction that they would meet. Quinn did not know why she was so overexcited about a homework assignment. Perhaps for the reasons that she, Lucy Quinn Fabray, would be spending several hours with Santana freaking Lopez in one room, alone, who knows how many times during those two weeks. And that her family would get to know her, which actually made her realize that the brunette would really be here. She began contemplating whether it was such a good idea after all. What if her room gave her away as dull, prude, and stuck up? What if her parents didn't like Santana or vice versa? What if they prepared the project quickly, and never speak again? The dining room seemed to be more claustrophobic than it did a few minutes before.

"Honey, are you feeling well? You have barely eaten anything." Hearing her mother's voice forced her to come back down to earth. Everyone at the table stared at her.

"No, I'm fine. Just thinking, that's all. I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you that a friend is coming over today. We're doing a presentation together, for literature. I hope it's okay with you."

"Sure, nice to hear you meet with your friends after the school. What's their name?"

"Santana Lopez, she's my age. Living nearby, in fact."

"Lopez? Oh, their family is so nice. Although I've never met their daughter." Judy remarked, exchanging a head nod with her husband.

"They're good people. David is my sports partner, really decent man. It'd be nice to meet the girl, but we're going to the theater in an hour, Collins got us cut-price tickets."

"Wait, tonight?" Quinn asked, feeling conflicted between excitement and fear.

"Yes. Frannie is staying, though." She glanced at her sister who shrugged.

"That's mom's favorite play, not mine."

After the dinner her parents left, and she began messing around her room, trying to kill time. The blonde refreshed herself in the bathroom linked to the room, criticizing her crazy behavior. That was just homework, there was no need to be restless. Frances knocked on the doors, looking at her with curiosity.

"Say what you want, but I can sense that you're a little bit far off. I know you better than you think I do, sis."

"It's nothing, really." She one more time smoothed the bed covers. Frances rolled her eyes, but didn't press further.

"So, who's that friend of yours that's coming? One of your glee buddies?"

"Uhmm, no. I've known Santana for some time now, but in reality we met a few days ago."

"Already studying together? It usually takes you weeks to warm up to someone. I'm glad you are being more social."

"I don't know… it's different with her. She's making it easier, I suppose." Quinn smiled at her briefly, stroking the side-braid of her blonde hair. "If she didn't approach me, everything would probably be the way it was before, though. It's not like I was the one to open up."

They looked at each other, listening to the soft music coming from the radio. The doorbell unexpectedly rang, and anxiety returned. The woman gestured her to lead, and within seconds Quinn found herself in front of the entrance. With a long exhale she cooled off and opened the doors, coming face to face with Santana. The brunette's hair was pulled in a ponytail and she wore simple jegging jeans, dark shirt, and zipped hoodie. The thing that the blonde immediately noticed about the girl, was her radiance. She seemed to glow with optimism, it was contagious.

"Hello." That fluid voice combined with her modest smile was like the warm breeze caressing her heart.

"Hi. You found the way."

"Yeah. I told you, I know where you live." She chuckled, and Quinn let her come inside. Frances widened her eyes at the visitor, but quickly shook it off and extended her hand.

"Hey there. You must be Santana, welcome. I'm Fran." The brunette almost jumped with excitement.

"Oh my God, I totally know you. What a luck and a pleasure to meet you. You're historic in McKinley."

"Woah, I'm not such a star, trust me. It's nice to be remembered, though."

"I will give you two a minute to chat about your football stuff and make something to drink." The blonde voiced, glancing between them.

"That's really not necessary, Quinn." The tan girl replied gently and Frannie frowned to herself.

"I insist." Having sent them a smile, she disappeared in the kitchen.

Trying not to overreact, she focused on preparing some hot chocolate and chopped fruits. After several minutes she heard footsteps, yet while she turned around she saw her sister instead of the guest.

"So… _that's _Santana. The captain. Nice." She commented with a grin. "I gotta take back my words and apologize for my underestimating you. You surely know how to pick them."

"Jesus Christ, Fran! Be quiet! She's a girl I've just came to know." Quinn hissed, wishing the ground would swallow her up. "Where is she?"

"Relax. She's exploring the common room. Anyway, why is she calling you by your middle name?" She asked in a whisper, leaning closer against the counter. The younger blonde sighed.

"That's what she does. It's our thing, I guess, she likes it." She liked it too, but it was beside the point.

"Oooohh, you have a thing now, huh?" The tall woman smirked and Quinn felt her face set on fire. She was ready to retort when another person entered the area.

"You have a very nice house, Q. Love the space."

"Thank you. If you're ready grab a cup and let's go upstairs." She took her drink and the plate of fruits.

"You really shouldn't have." The blonde shook her head in response and motioned to follow her.

"Okay, kids. Have fun _studying_." France's tone made her internally squirm, but Santana seemed indifferent.

They crossed the small hallway and Quinn opened the first doors on the right, encouraging the other girl to enter.

"Well, that's my room." She awkwardly stated, placing the dishes on the chest of drawers.

"It's really nice. Very neat and warm. Mine's a mess all the time." The brunette joked, taking in the blue walls, oak set of furniture, and electronic devices situated on the huge cupboard.

Opposite the entrance were the window seats overlooking the street, next to them the work desk was placed, and almost the entire right wall was taken by the tall set of shelves and the bathroom doors. The left side was occupied by the closet and a single bed with several fluffy pillows.

"Feel free to sit wherever you like." Santana did a turn around and sat down on the bed next to her, placing her bag on the floor and taking off her shoes to sit cross-legged. "Uh, okay. Have you brought anything with you?"

"Sure, I've got my materials on everything we've covered so far. I didn't prepare anything cause I didn't want to start without you. You probably have better ideas than me, anyway."

"Let's just brainstorm together then. I haven't started thinking about it either, so we could go over our notes and write down anything that catches our attention."

They pulled out the textbooks and blank sheets of papers, reading aloud information about favorite works and authors, trying to come up with the topic.

"How about a book that is timeless? Still relevant with its discussed problems nowadays?" Quinn asked, her eyes scanning the pages.

"That's good. We could compare the story to present situations, link the themes, issues, morals. Interesting and open-minded. Let's now pick the novel."

With the accompaniment of quiet music, both of them focused on the notes. After several minutes of ideas exchange, Santana looked up to glance over the room, finally stopping at her.

"What?" The blonde nervously adjusted her glasses, making an effort not to avert her eyes.

"I… realized that actually I know next to nothing about you. I'd like to change that."

"I'm afraid that you'd be rather disappointed. I'm not a very interesting person."

"Let me be the judge of that." Santana remarked with a smile, leaning slightly towards her. The room's temperature rose a few degrees. Strange.

"Uhm… okay. What would you like to know?" She certainly had no idea how to handle such a simple request. People rarely asked about her.

"Since 'everything' is a lot to cover, maybe you should start from random facts and interests? Whatever you feel like sharing. Usual stuff, I don't want to pressure you."

"Interests… like you've probably noticed, I like to read. Preferably classics. It's not the process of reading itself that is fascinating, but the stories, plot twists, feelings. I write from time to time for myself too, different genres. I greatly enjoy music and singing, which explains the glee club thing, although I'm not by any means pro, like the others. I listen to extremely various types of music, one of my favorites are Jon McLaughlin, Lana Del Rey, Jamie Cullum, Frederic Chopin… I love Italian food. Calm colors. Skyscapes in any form." Santana leant her face against the elbows, listening carefully with fixed gaze.

"Art is a blast. Abstract expressionism, romanticism – especially the Hudson River School. I'm not that much into television, but there are some detective shows which I follow. What else… I could sleep forever, really. Perhaps I don't seem to be, yet I'm pretty impatient person. Random, irregular sounds annoy me. I'm afraid of heights and I dislike winter, no matter how beautiful it can sometimes be. The most obvious fact is that I don't care about fashion at all and I don't know a thing about it." She broke off, grasping the situation. "Sorry, I shouldn't be probably babbling about stuff that doesn't interest me while you asked about the hobbies."

"No, no. That's great. Every single thing you mentioned, voluntarily or not, is what makes you, well, you. This is far more than I've expected. In fact, I've never heard you speak for so long before." Santana exhaled, smiling. "Wow. How could you say that 'you're not a very interesting person'? You, Lucy Fabray, are very interesting person."

"Thanks. I'm glad you think so."

"I'm serious, I wish I could say so many things about myself." The brunette laughed and Quinn decided that it was one of the best sounds she'd ever heard. "You're quite cultured, as much as I like literature too, I prefer unchallenging titles. Detective shows are also my thing, thrillers, supernatural stuff… love me some music, who doesn't. Mostly I'm a sports freak." She sent her a very obvious look, showing the dimples.

"Since I was a kid, I have loved adrenaline, burn, energy, rush. I do like team disciplines, but there is nothing better than some alone time spent in the fresh air. Besides soccer, I enjoy skateboarding, mostly in summer, and jogging. During winter I go snowboarding with family in Canada, and instead of using the running track, I prefer archery. There is a good range area in one of the sports clubs. Lots of fun and not very exhaustive, you should try it one day." Santana suggested, poking her leg a little. Quinn ignored the shivers running down her spine.

"Honestly, I've never thought about it. Thanks for the offer, I might try it out if it's not very expensive or difficult. I'm not so sports-enthusiastic like you, the only regular activity I do is running. Although there are very few places to do so."

"Really? If you want, you could join me in the mornings or evenings on the school running track. I have full access to it and there is absolutely no one when I run. Full equipped locker rooms are directly next to the field, also for use. It'd be nice to have a company every once in a while." There was absolutely no way to reject her while she was giving her that smiling face.

"Sounds good. I'd like that."

They talked for another ten minutes about recreational activities before returning to the project. While noting down specific ideas, all of a sudden Santana started singing along to the radio. It was quiet, yet clear enough to hear her surprisingly perfect alto. Quinn's jaw dropped.

"You can sing." She stated with wide eyes and the brunette looked up at her, falling silent.

"Huh? Theoretically, everyone can sing. Does it annoy you?"

"No! That's not what I meant. You didn't tell me you sing so well."

"I wouldn't go that far. I don't practice singing per se, it's just a habit of taking pleasure from music." She answered nonchalantly, putting down her pen.

"But you're good, I can hear it. You never considered doing something about it?"

"Not really, no. It's not even a hobby, just a thing I do at random."

"You've never taken any lessons or anything?" Quinn inquired, freaking out on the inside.

"Nope."

"Oh my God."

Both of them fell silent, Santana was looking at her skeptically while the blonde was staring into space, deep in thought. Gears were turning in her head with possibilities.

"What is it?"

"Have you ever considered joining the school choir?" She straightforwardly asked and the tan girl raised her eyebrows.

"No, I don't think it ever occurred to me. I wasn't interested in professional singing, solo or in group."

"None one is professional there, most of us just do it for fun, as a leisure activity. You do not have to be on some master level to join. We haven't even started performing to any audience if you are not comfortable with public, although I'm certain this isn't something that concerns you." Quinn joked, earning a smile from her.

"I dunno. I do have some free time to spare I guess, I just don't feel that I'm suitable for such thing." She scratched her neck, frowning. The blonde bit her lip in disappointment.

"I know that glee club is not very popular and I understand completely that someone like you doesn't want to be associated with it."

"No, that's really not the case. I don't give a damn about reputation or popularity, contrary to the imposed assumption. In truth, I don't know whether I fit in something like choirs."

"Nothing stands in your way to test it." Quinn encouraged, focusing all her attention on the doubtful brunette. "We do various numbers, a little bit of everything for everyone. Sometimes we do group songs, sometimes solos, duets… there's a lot of switching so whatever idea of choir you have, it might not be what you the glee club is about. Did you know that Finn Hudson recently joined us?"

"Wait. Finn? As Finn from the football team?" She asked dumbstruck. "Wow. Puck didn't tell me anything. I had no idea he sings."

"Nobody did. As you see, we accept everyone and we really need new members in order to participate in competitions. If you could, spread some word. See for yourself what it is about – we will have auditorium for ourselves around next week, anybody is welcomed to come, watch, perform."

"I will think about that. For now, I can't give you any precise answer, but I will ask around if anyone's interested. Perhaps I'm biased, no harm though in expanding one's horizons." There was a small smile on her face and Quinn felt a gleam of hope.

"That's precisely what I want. Give it a try, if you decide that it's not your thing, it's okay."

"Remember your opinion when I ask you to do something for me next time." Santana teased, making her suddenly abashed.

"L-like what?" Upon seeing her alarmed expression, the girl laughed again.

"Like the said archery, for example. Chill out Q, I'd never force you to do anything, especially dangerous stuff. Although, I feel that when pushed outside the comfort zone, you would only flourish."

They looked at each other in silence, still in the same position on the bed. It was good… right, being like that. Quinn never felt comfortable around strangers or just-met people, yet there was no feeling of awkwardness in that moment or any other time with Santana, besides a few nervous freak outs. There was something else, something that she couldn't pinpoint, something she regarded as captivation. It was always present, whether the brunette was next to her or not. Pull.

The blonde broke the eye contact to take a sip from her cup, noticing the clock on her desk.

"Can you believe it? Two hours passed and we haven't even chosen any work." Santana checked her cellphone and smirked.

"Well… I guess that means we have to meet again."


	4. Funfair

**A/N: **Thanks for the follows and reviews. Love ya. :3  
Any crpg players to spot the DAO line?

Disclaimer: Glee or its characters are obviously not mine.

* * *

After various text messages, Quinn agreed to make a morning session on the running track, before her classes. Santana was waiting for her near the closed area, already wearing her workout kit. She led her to the locker rooms, showing what was where, and left to do some warm-ups. The blonde changed into a pair of sweatpants, tank top, and sports hoodie, since the fall mornings were getting colder. She pulled her hair up and closed the locker, joining on the other girl on the field. Santana's eyes almost popped out of her head at her sight.

"Holy shit, Fabray! You should wear pants more often." She proclaimed, boldly staring at her legs. Quinn concluded that she needed to apply some makeup on her cheeks if such things would continue.

"T-thanks. Although I've always thought the opposite."

"Hell no. Your… hips… are amazing." The brunette affirmed, nodding her head.

"I find it hard to believe, but thank you."

"I would never lie to you." Her voice was firm, yet gentle. They stared at each other for several quiet seconds. "Okay, let's move. No sprinting though."

They did a few laps and Quinn was grateful that despite her obvious good shape, Santana wasn't pressing for some rough pace. The morning was calm, a little bit cloudy and chill, but not windy. Jogging took them almost an hour which passed quickly as they chatted about school, projects, people, and plans. They slowed down to stretch the strained muscles, breathing deeply the refreshing air.

"It's nice to have a company. Brittany prefers other activities, I usually run alone." Santana pointed out, smoothing her 'Panthers' hoodie.

"What does she do then? I thought she was an athlete like you."

"Sometimes. Still, Britt's main passion is dancing as long as I remember."

"I didn't know that. She looks like the type." They sat down on the bench. The brunette chuckled.

"She's insanely good, I tell you. Shame that she doesn't show it off. God, I wish I had even a tenth part of her skill. I suck at dancing." Quinn tilted her head with curiosity.

"Really? Having a good hearing and a sense of rhythm mean you should be doing fine."

"I'm dead serious. I can't dance. Not a tiny bit." Santana laughed again. "You don't want to see me dancing, it's pathetic."

"I had a course in ballroom dancing, glee also taught me some moves… if you join, I could instruct you, perhaps?" She hinted innocently, staring at her sneakers.

"What?" Quinn looked up at her amused expression.

"Join glee and I will teach you to dance." That was rather bold, she surprised herself. The brunette's smile didn't drop.

"Sounds almost like a blackmail."

"I prefer the 'deal' term." The blonde smiled a little. "You said you're not good at it, I'm giving you an opportunity to learn."

"You are offering me the most eccentric things, Q. I will think about it." Santana winked, making her stomach flip. "I liked today's session. I hope we can make it regular."

"So did I. That's a good idea, as long as the weather is nice." She looked at the sky which was getting clearer.

"I've got a soccer training in twenty minutes. If you wanna, you could stay." That was more than a tempting suggestion.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. I have a lesson now." Unfortunately. Santana's face fell for a split second, yet she managed to smile.

"Sure. When do you finish? I thought that we could continue our assignment in the afternoon."

"Around 1 p.m. I think."

"That's alright. Meet me in the library?"

"Will be there. See you soon, then. Don't overstrain yourself."

"Not gonna happen. Bye!"

Naturally, their study did not take longer than 15 minutes. After picking the suitable book, Santana started talking funny anecdotes making Quinn laugh every now and then. The librarian had to quiet them several times before finally giving up.

* * *

Next day she started with a morning class of glee. Mr. Shue's optimistic expectations were indeed coming true while the group quickly bonded with Finn who indicated that he might persuade a few other people to join. They did several carefree numbers instead of the practice routine. Cheerful and full of energy, the pack split in their own directions to meet later for the lunch break.

Quinn didn't catch sight of Santana, wondering where the girl was. They didn't share any classes that day so she hoped to at least exchange a few words during the breaks. After math and biology she joined her friends in the canteen, still looking around for the brunette.

"I thought that I was going to murder someone when Lewis gave us that novel-length paper to write. God, I hate history." Mercedes whined, stabbing her fries with a fork. Everyone was already eating and chatting when the blonde sat down at the rounded table.

"Lewis got nothing on Mrs. Flores. I learnt nothing on today's chemistry, and that's a lot coming from me." The boy on the wheelchair frowned. "I don't understand that some people are allowed to teach."

"How was your week? You seem so busy, lately." Kurt noted, looking at Quinn curiously as she was struggling with the yoghurt's lid.

"Do I? That is rather true, I have some stuff on my mind."

"Such as?"

"Well, homework assignments, hobbies, domestic duties… you know, stuff." She finally ripped the cover, not slightly aware of the sudden silence that fell on her friends. "What's more, my sister is staying over so I try to spend some time with her before she leaves." The blonde finally looked up to see them staring with wide eyes and open mouth at something behind her.

"Hey, can I borrow her for a second?" Familiar, cheerful voice reached her ears and she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her friends nodded, wearing the same dumbfounded expression that she did.

"Excuse me." She managed to murmur and stood up, coming face to face with Santana who had a smug grin.

The brunette led her outside, on the abandoned hallways, and turned towards her, this time with a timid expression.

"Hi. Sorry that I messed up your lunchtime. But I've been looking for you for the past two hours and I didn't want to miss the opportunity when I finally spotted you." Quinn wished that she could record her words to play them over and over again.

"No, that's okay. I wasn't hungry anyway." That was a lie. "I didn't see you either. What did you want to talk about?"

"I just learnt about this in the morning. Oh gosh, I'm too excited to even think about it." Santana's foot was taping rapidly on the floor. "Okay, there is a very credible rumor going around about some fall picnic, carnival or whatever, that's not important. The thing is – this weekend the tickets to the amusement park right outside the town are half price. This is practically the last chance before winter to go there. I thought… that you maybe wanna come? You can bring your friends if you'd like." She added hastily, seeing her uncertain look.

Quinn wasn't worried about _that_, in fact, she would gladly be off without them. She was mulling over two things. First, that she wasn't sure about such places, and second, that Santana relatively asked her out. Which meant that even if people were eaten alive in that park, in the end nothing would stop her to go there. She met the gaze of her warm, dark eyes and the corners of her mouth curved upwards.

"Sure, I will go."

"I'm glad to hear it. I could pick you up around the evening, tomorrow."

"It's settled then."

That sounded almost like a date. However, Quinn had to shake her thoughts off, convincing herself that it was anything but a date. Santana wasn't into girls, and even if she was, there was not a chance that she would ever fancy someone like her. Someone so common. Definitely no chance, despite the brunette's smiles. It was all friendly, nothing else behind it.

"You wanna skip lunch? Your friends looked like they would kill you with questions, the second you showed up back there." They chuckled. "I've got some homemade shortbread cookies in my car."

She wasn't ready to face them, and the idea of having a snack outside was not bad at all, considering that it gave her an opportunity to stare… look at her very eye-pleasing companion. Not that she was doing it or anything like that.

* * *

Quinn was doing circles in her room when _the _evening finally came. She avoided her friends since the canteen situation, putting off the inevitable. That was so her. She got other things to worry about though, and in that moment it was going out with a girl who was driving her insane. There were no other words to describe the effect Santana had on her, all the feelings she was experiencing on the inside. Too much, too inexpressible, too complex.

After minutes of aimless wandering around, the blonde stood before the mirror, trying to build some confidence in herself. She decided that she didn't look extremely bad. Her hair was pulled in a messy ponytail, her green scarf brought out her eyes, under the fitting short jacket she wore a casual dress. Considering the possible evening coolness, she chose a pair of black leggings. The effect was better than usually, which calmed her down. The doorbell rang.

"I will get it!" She yelled, running downstairs straight for the doors and opening them this time without any hesitation.

"What's up?" Santana selected for herself the tomboyish style, looking incredibly cute. She sent her a confident smile.

"Hey. I'm good and ready to go."

"Lucy? Who's that?" Her father's booming voice came from the common room. Quinn sighed.

"I'm leaving with my friend to the funfair, I told you."

"What about some introduction?" Her parents showed up in the hallway, looking between the girls.

"Uh, okay. Santana, my parents." She gestured embarrassed and the brunette came inside to exchanged handshakes.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Fabray."

"Nice to finally meet you. We've heard so much about you." What a lovely exaggeration. The blonde had to turn around to face palm herself.

"I hope only the good stuff." Santana dismissed it with a chuckle, glancing at her discreetly.

"Do you want to come in? We've some cheesecake and tea." Her mother offered, but to Quinn's relief, the girl shook politely her head.

"Thank you, but that's not necessary. I've just came to pick Lucy up."

"Ah, right. You're going to the amusement park, aren't you? I assume it's not dangerous."

"Not at all, sir. There are different kinds of entertainment. We'll just look around, nothing extreme, I assure both of you." She declared and Quinn knew by her parents' looks that Santana just scored a lot of points.

"Good to hear it. Be safe and please return before midnight."

"Of course." They replied simultaneously before patting themselves with a laugh. "Jinx!"

"Okay children, shoo. Have fun. It was nice meeting you."

"Likewise. Goodnight."

"Bye dad, bye mom."

They went out on the driveway and Santana opened for her the door of the old-school mustang.

"Thank you. Sorry about my folks, you know how it is."

"Not a problem. They are very kind."

"You have a nice car." Quinn commented, looking around the leather finishing inside the machine. The brunette started the engine, swiftly turning into the main road.

"Thanks. That's my good old ride, I love such cars. Papi got me this one last year. It's perfect."

During the quick journey they chit chatted on random topics. The sun was still on the sky, but the dusk was already visible. There was no strong wind, rain or clouds, which seemed like an ideal weather. They stopped at the crowded parking lot, hearing the festival noise. Apparently, half of the town gathered there to enjoy the weekend. Santana parked on the left to the entrance, and hurriedly got to her side to open the door again.

Quinn shyly thanked the brunette, trapped between her and the car. She carefully met her gaze, and then examined her face, partially hidden by the dark waves of locks. There was something wild and carefree in her look, which she really liked. In fact, with every day she found more and more things she liked about Santana. It was going fast. Weirdly and pleasurably fast.

"You look lovely." She glanced briefly over her body to look into her hazel eyes once more. Quinn felt her heart skipped a beat. The way she said it made her really believe it.

"Thank you. So do you."

Having exchanged soft smiles, they headed to the ticket booths and started arguing about the payment. In the end Santana won, which was annoying and flattering at the same time. The blonde was repeating in her head 'calm down' and 'it's not a date'. They walked down the main path, watching the illuminated attractions. The air was filled with music, voices, and a range of different sounds. It was very cheerful.

They started with a silly carousel and go-karts, screaming with laughter like kids. Quinn couldn't remember when she had so much fun, no matter how childish it was. Time was passing as they moved between the places, totally disregarding everything happening around. She didn't notice her friends until they practically crashed into them.

"Lucy, what a surprise! What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you guys the same." Mercedes, Kurt, and Rachel looked between her and Santana, unsure where to stare at. Quinn hated it, but the brunette didn't seem to mind.

"We just wanted to take a look around, you know, it's Saturday after all. I wanted to invite you too, but none of us could get a hold on you." Rachel replied, finally averting her eyes from Santana.

"My phone must have discharged." It wasn't true, which her companion clearly knew by the suppressed smirk on her face.

"Okay. So…" The silence fell between them and Quinn had no choice but to familiarize everyone. Santana introduced herself in a friendly manner, which seemed to confuse them even more.

"We didn't expect to meet you… two here."

"Well, like Rach said, what's better to do in the weekend? The tickets are cheap and we have free time." Mercedes was ready to ask all the questions that had gathered in her mind when Kurt cut in.

"Alright, we still have a few spots to visit. Wish you ladies a great time." After farewells, he and Rachel dragged the black girl away.

"You have a funny pack of people. They seem cool." Santana turned towards her, not a bit upset about the situation. "Although I don't know why some people react strangely when they see me. I don't look ridiculous, do I?"

"They were just confused. It's not an usual sight… popular girl like you hanging out with someone like me." The brunette sighed, shaking her head.

"Labels, labels, labels. Look at me." She placed her hands on Quinn's shoulders, shaking her a little. "Stop abasing yourself. Popularity is not a determinant of one's value. You are smart. You are sensitive. You are beautiful. Don't think otherwise. We're equal and we have a right to spend time with whomever we want. Screw people and their opinions."

"Thank you." The blonde had no other words to respond with. She had suspected that Santana was special, yet she did not know how much. The Latina smiled at her, visibly relaxing.

"I know where we should go now." She pointed in the direction of the big roller-coaster. Quinn immediately paled.

"I don't think it's such a good idea."

"No harm will come to you, I promise." They stared walking towards the entry. "It's really fun and safe. Scary at the beginning, but totally worth it."

"I'm not so certain about it." She was internally panicking, such activities were not her kind of thing. Santana noticed her distressed look and took her hands in hers.

"Do you trust me?" Quinn met her eyes and cautiously nodded. "I'll be right next to you the entire time. Please, do it for me?" She gave up.

They waited near the closed gates for their turn. The blonde looked up at the amusement ride, trying to ignore the screams coming from the passengers. What was she even doing, that was insane. Santana squeezed her hand, grinning at her encouragingly. When the train arrived she avoided looking at the people leaving it, took off her glasses, and gave her purse for the deposit. They settled down, fastening all the protection systems. The brunette once more reached for her hand, which was the only positive thing about the whole situation.

Quinn deeply inhaled as the trolley started moving upwards, practically crushing Santana's fingers. Seeing how high they were, she felt a lump in her throat. The ride fell down with enormous speed and piercing screams came from every side. She heard her own high-pitched shriek, taking her breath away. Beside her, the brunette was howling with laughter.

It was not 'scary'. It was utterly paralyzing. Everything inside her was trying to get out, it was such a strange feeling. However, after some time she grew accustomed to it, and it was rather amusing. The height was still freaking her out, so she decided to focus on the person on her right. Santana was laughing out loud, her hair blowing around by the wind. She looked back at her beaming, and Quinn savored the moment. Within a short period of time they were already back at the entrance, getting out of the ride.

"Wasn't so bad after all, was it?"

"I guess not."

"How about a second ride then?"

"Oh no, I had enough for today." They chuckled.

"Just checking. Are you feeling well?" She patted her back, seeing how Quinn tried to calm herself down.

"Yes, a little bit dizzy maybe. I need a second to catch my breath, that's all." They were still holding hands, which she did not want to bring up.

"Let's grab our stuff and get a drink."

They sat down at the nearest food stand with milkshakes, and the blonde took out her glasses. Santana grabbed her hand, getting her attention.

"You have very pretty eyes, nothing like I've ever seen. Such a shame to hide them." That was too many compliments for one day.

"T-thank you. I don't like using contacts so that's why I'm stuck with them for now." She just nodded in reply, taking a few sips from her cup. "Where are your friends? You didn't want to go with them?"

"No. I wanted to go with you." Santana stated straightforwardly, her lips curling a little. Again Quinn had no idea where to hide. "They're probably busy or something. To be honest, I don't have so many friends as it looks like. The only other people I'd have brought are Amy, maybe Jenny. Boys go paintballing on Saturdays. And there is Britt, but she got a new boyfriend. She's definitely more active in _that _field than me." Upon hearing her reply, the blonde started playing with the straw, thinking that it was possibly the most proper moment to at last ask the question which was tormenting her for some time.

"If you don't mind asking… why are you single?" Their eyes met.

"Not by choice. It's just very hard to find a person like me in such a small, conservative town." Quinn looked puzzled and Santana took a short breath. "You see… I'm gay. Phew, it feels so damn good to say it out loud." She giggled while the blonde silently said thankful prayers.

"I understand now. Sorry for asking if that offended you somehow."

"No, that's perfectly fine. All those guys I've turned down… people still didn't figure it out."

"Your secret is safe with me."

"It's not confidential information. My family knows, Britt and Puck. I'm not ashamed of who I am, I just don't feel like shouting it from the rooftops. If someone asked, I would sincerely answer. But nobody asks the right question. I don't mind having a relationship with someone, actually that would be awesome." She paused to look at her with a specific flicker in her dark eyes. "And why are you? Don't even start with that 'I'm nobody' crap."

"I don't know many people… no one ever asked me out. I guess I haven't met the right person."

"Or you aren't looking in the right direction." Her voice was filled with challenge.

They stared at each other in silence. Quinn had such a chaos in her head that she did not even want to organize her thoughts. For now she decided to dismiss it all and not to ruin the evening by acting weirdly. Her contemplation could wait. Santana looked at the twilight sky and smiled.

"Come on. I want us to do one more thing."

She led her to the giant Ferris wheel, which was surprisingly empty. Quinn conquered her fear and got inside the double seats, followed by the brunette. The girl offered her arm and she gripped it with anxiety. The structure began to move, at least it was slow unlike the roller-coasters. As their gondola was lifting upright, the view in front of them was changing.

"This is beautiful." The blonde whispered, staring at the setting orange sun, disappearing on the horizon.

"Yes, it is. That's the best way to watch it."

Without more words than necessary, they got lost in the moment, admiring the scenery. After the several-minutes ride, they carefully got off and Quinn reluctantly let go of her companion's arm.

"It got pretty late. Do you want to go?"

"Honestly? I don't. Everything is so great that I can't imagine leaving it all behind." The corners of Santana's mouth lifted for the nth time during that evening.

"We could walk around a little more. I think we missed all the fun stalls and there is no way that I'll return home empty-handed."

They circled the area to stop at one of the shooting spots. Knowing her motor coordination, Quinn decided to stand by and watch as Santana tried to shoot all the moving targets. When she lost another round, she snarled with anger.

"If this was a bow challenge, I would have won it in seconds."

"Perhaps you should back out before you lose all your money." The Latina shook her head with determination.

"Huh-uh. I'm gonna win this, watch me."

She concentrated again and managed to hit every target. The guy in the stall frowned while Santana raised her fist in the victory. Quinn couldn't hold back a chuckle, applauding her.

"Okay miss, which one do you want?" The man looked at the plush toys standing on the shelves. She instantly pointed at the medium-size white lamb.

"Here, it's yours." The brunette turned towards her, giving her the toy. Quinn's jaw dropped.

"What?"

"You heard me, girl. The last time I checked you had ears." Santana laughed.

"I can't accept it. You paid for it, you won it, it's yours."

"God damn it, Q. Take it! Please." She added, giving her a pleading look which she could not reject.

"Thank you. It's very sweet." To put it lightly.

"The lamb or me?" She smirked, making her speechless. "You're welcome."

They slowly walked through the funfair, the grayish sky above them. When they reached the parking lot, Quinn concluded that it was the best not-a-date she ever had. Holding close to her the fluffy toy, she looked around the place one last time, smile not leaving her features. Santana closed the door for her, and got in with the same expression. Both of them hummed to the radio, feeling in high spirits. The way back seemed shorter as if they pulled into the driveway after a few seconds. The brunette looked at her sheepishly.

"Let me see you off." They hesitantly got out of the muscle car and walked to the doorstep. "I had lots of fun with you today. I hope that you too, and we will be able to do it again in near future."

"I'd love to. I did have a great time, despite the scary rides." They smiled. "Thank you for mister lamb."

"You gonna give him a name?"

"Why not. Hmm… Charlie."

"Very well. Then I wish you and Charlie a good night." She theatrically bowed.

"Night. See you soon?" Quinn made an effort not to sound like a desperate teenager waiting for the boy band album. It probably did not work. Santana turned around, walking backwards to her car.

"Sooner than you might think."

That was another point she had to add to her list of night consideration.


	5. Treacherous

**A/N: **Really sorry for the delays. I have no time, plan or inspiration. I don't know when the next chapter will be, because I'm considering participation in QuinntanaWeek2014. Not to mention I will probably write something after 100th episode to relieve my pain and anger. Anyway, enjoy (or not) this shortish chapter.  
PS. If you find grammar mistakes in dialogues, they were done on purpose.

Disclaimer: Owning nothing as usual.

* * *

Quinn figured out what Santana meant by saying sooner when in the Sunday morning she received a message to look out the window. The grinning brunette was standing on the driveway as if nothing happened, encouraging her to join the jogging routine. Quinn just shook her head with a smile and quickly changed, dismissing her surprised parents with a few words. They ended up walking around the park, talking – or rather Santana talked and she listened – about childhood memories and personality traits. The blond girl found it hard to believe that she could feel so close to a person after such short period of time.

She had yet much to learn, but their still 'newborn' relationship did not repress her need. The need to be together, spend time together, laugh together, talk together. Santana had the mystical 'it', of that Quinn was sure. However, she could not pinpoint what 'it' was. Maybe her sense of humor. Maybe her energy. Maybe her burning joy of life. Everything about her was contagious, positive, and carefree. And Lucy began to fear that she would get addicted, if she wasn't already.

They stopped by the local cafeteria for the brunch and another hour passed. Quinn was silently observing Santana's habits – her love for caramel macchiato, her manner of tapping fingers, her choice of tight clothes (not that it bothered her), her involuntary humming, her minimal dimpled smirk, and her rapt gaze, usually fixed at her when they were together. That damn look which turned her into a puddle every time.

Quinn returned home to go straight to her room. She sat down on her bed, staring into space in a deep thought. She was happy, confused, doubting, relieved, and curious at the same time. More importantly, she felt incredibly bothered. Like there was something going on and she was absolutely clueless what it was. And she needed to know. She didn't yet know what, but she needed to know. Confrontation was by all means not her thing, so she decided to observe. Just to go with it. If something was bound to happen, it would happen.

"From what I've heard, you had a little morning meeting with your newest _friend._" There it was again. That mocking tone in the voice of her sister who stood in the doorway.

"Yes. We run from time to time."

"How's that going for you?"

"Good."

"And how is she?"

"She is… she is so… uggghh." Quinn dropped on her back with a groan, out of words. Frances laughed.

"Careful there. Your gay is showing."

"I'm not… I don't know what I am." She whispered, hiding her face in her hands. The woman sat down beside her and stroked her hair.

"It's okay hon. It's okay if you do, and it's okay if you don't. You have still a lot of time to figure things out. Or leave it as it is and just ignore all the labels. Do mom and dad know?"

"No. There is nothing for them to know so far." Frances sighed.

"You two really need to clear it up."

"Who?"

"You and Santana, silly. What's the big deal, you like each other or you do not. Simple as that." Quinn looked at her, frowning.

"Don't you think it's too soon to talk about it that way? We've known each other for like two weeks."

"Sis, are you blind? I can understand that you do not see how it looks like, but you can at least interpret her."

"And what's that supposed to mean? How do we look to you?" She asked with irritation, slightly afraid of her apparently obvious behavior. For the entire year she practiced the 'conceal, don't feel' method, it shouldn't have failed her. Or perhaps not everything could be kept hidden.

"I haven't seen much of your interactions, still…" She paused, scratching her chin in wonder. "You remind me of these moments years ago when we went on bikes around the countryside in summer. Nothing made you happier than those trips. I remember your expression whenever I told you that we were going. Amazement, awe, joy… it's in your eyes while she's around."

Quinn listened with knitted eyebrows, trying to recall the time she spent with her sister, and the time she was with Santana. There was a similarity, and there was a difference. It wasn't just pure childish bliss being with the brunette, it was far more.

"As for her. Well, I wish Mark looked at me with such adoration, he used to. It's like watching a kid getting a ticket to Disneyland." That could not be true. Frannie sighed again and stood up. "Alright, think about what I said. Sort your stuff. You know that I want the best for you. If you decide that this soccer chic is only a friend, that's perfectly fine. It's all up to you."

"Wait. You are okay with this? Us, both girls?"

"You are my closest family, Lucy. I was always there with you since your birth. Nothing would ever change my love for you. And I'm sure that our folks would say the same."

Frances left, closing the door behind her. Quinn was more confused than ever.

* * *

She knew exactly what she was walking into when she passed the doorstep of the choir room. Every glee member went silent and turned their heads towards her, billions of questions in their curious eyes. Quinn threw a quiet 'hello' and sat in the last row, hoping that it would send them a message. It didn't.

"Why you didn't text me back?"

"What were you two doing together?"

"I can't believe you didn't tell me anything."

"Are you friends with Santana Lopez?"

"I called you all Sunday."

"Spill."

They surrounded her, speaking simultaneously. Quinn had her back to the wall and the only thing she could do, was to answer their questions briefly and objectively. She summarized her relationship with Santana, avoiding all confusing thoughts. Rachel and Mercedes were ready to question her even more when suddenly Mr. Shuester appeared. Right in time.

"Morning guys, what's this commotion? Before we start warm-ups, I'd like to remind you about tomorrow's auditions and performances. I've already seen some names on the list, I have a really good feeling about this."

The class began and the blonde sighed with relief as people took their seats. Mercedes sat down next to her and whispered.

"I don't get it why you haven't said a thing. We are friends."

"I know and I'm sorry, but I thought it's not that important. As I said, we've just met and hung out a few times, nothing worth mentioning. And I wanted to avoid precisely what you all did now."

"Nothing worth mentioning? You do know who we're talking about, right?"

"She's a normal human being like the rest of us. Believe me, at first my behavior was just like yours, but when you get to know her she's actually a very nice person." Like very, very nice.

The other girl got quiet, her face scrunched up with contemplation.

* * *

Quinn did not avoid Santana. She simply wanted to put some space between them, to have a short break from almost-everyday interactions. Truth to be told… she didn't. She didn't want even an inch of space between them, she didn't want the telephone silence or not seeing her on the hallways. Only two days passed since their last meeting, and she already felt distressed. That was pathetic. What was worse, Santana seemed to fall off the face of the earth. As much as the blonde needed some time to reflect, it extremely unsettled her that the other girl wasn't also trying to get in touch. She started wondering whether she had done something wrong or improper. Maybe she was too obvious and Santana picked it up? Maybe she didn't like her anymore? Yet they had a great time from what she remembered and there was nothing implying otherwise, or so she thought. She worried too much, it was very possible that Santana was ill, nothing more to it. If she was, why didn't she call then… well, they were not that close, she had a lot of other people to ask for homework. That thought made her sad.

Quinn shook her head to stop ranting. It was already late afternoon as she entered the auditorium where glee club had gathered for audition and performances. Lights illuminated the stage occupied by the school band and pianist Brad. Her friends were sitting in the middle to watch some people who hovered around the curtain, clearly excited about the whole situation. She took a seat above Mr. Shuester's desk to peek at the list. There were only a few names which she was not familiar with. Most importantly, Santana's was nowhere to be seen. The blonde slumped down into the chair with extreme disappointment.

Audition went terribly. The freshmen who showed up were rather comedians, not singers. Even the best of that small group were not qualified enough for group work. Still, if they were to take part in Regionals, they would have to consider welcoming them. The teacher looked around the hall with discouraged expression.

"I guess that was everyone. Alright, the scene is yours now. Who would like to go first?" Rachel's hand shot up in the air before he finished.

One by one they took the advantage of solo stage show, sharing their favorite songs. Even Finn got fairly comfortable to perform with Artie. Quinn observed everything in silence, feeling melancholically. She wanted Santana to at least try.

"Guys, that was really great! I will have to think about a male duet in the future. Anybody else?" The blonde quietly sighed. It was do or die.

"Me." Mr. Shue smiled at her, slightly surprised.

"That's what I wanted to hear. Take it away."

She went on the stage on wobbly feet, hearing her friends' cheering in the background. Sooner or later she had to overcome her stage fright, it was as good a time as any. She knew straight away what to sing, the number was constantly on her mind. Having asked the guitarist for a simple acoustic accompaniment, she swept her eyes over the small audience in front of her. The strings softly carried the tune.

Quinn completely turned off, getting engrossed in singing about the gravity, treacherous slopes, and reckless paths. About getting swept away, name echoing through her mind, and dangerous daydreams. Everything that she kept inside her. How good it felt to finally let it all out.

And at the end of the song, she saw her. Santana was leaning against the balcony's railing, barely visible in the dimmed lights. She was staring at her, yet Quinn wasn't able to read her expression. Her voice almost wavered with emotions but she managed to finish the performance. When she looked up to see the brunette again, she was gone. The applause distracted her again and she nervously smiled at her friends.

"Took you some time, eh?" Mercedes hugged her briefly. "I'm really proud of you, girl. Better late than ever. It was great."

"Thanks."

"It wasn't great." They turned around, hearing another reply. "It was divine." Santana approached her and cracked a smile showing her perfect teeth. Quinn felt her face hurt from grinning.

"You came."

"Almost, but consider it a success. I get very rarely turned on by someone's singing." She chuckled, making her blush. People around them suddenly went silent, staring at the scene with dropped jaws. "Sorry that I missed the audition part, the training held me up. But I heard your group and I'm impressed." Santana looked curiously at Mercedes. "You gots some voice there. That was a sick cover, better than the original. Awesome."

"Uh, thanks." She replied hesitantly, but her a smile. The brunette fixed her gaze again on Quinn.

"Although, you were the best Q. I love Taylor Swift. And your voice is…" She broke off, biting her lip. "I think you bought me. I wasn't sure about it, but… Does the offer still stand?" The murmurs instantly rose.

"Of course! Mr. Shuester, Santana wants –"

"Wait, wait, wait! We cannot just accept new members without tryouts!" Rachel cut in, looking between them with a frown. Santana raised her eyebrows.

"You're Rachel Berry, right? Your scale is impressive, but the whole theatricality thing… you should drop the act a little, people will think you are on something." She softly hinted and several muffled laughs reached their ears. "Anyway. I thought you need everyone you can get." Rachel switched her outraged expression to a determined one.

"Everyone has to go through audition. From what I've heard today, people like to think of themselves higher than it's deserved." Quinn was not a violent person, however, the declaration caused her to shoot daggers at the brunette. Santana remained calm.

"Okay." She shrugged and took off her jacket, giving it to the blonde. "Do you mind?" She saw her headshake and passed the crowd to walk to the teacher who was writing down some notes. "You run the glee club, Mr. Shuester? I wanted to join, but the drama queen there says I have to perform. Can I do it now?"

"You are… Santana Lopez. Wow, that would be great. If you want to sing, go ahead." He pointed at the stage and she nodded.

People went back to their seats, noticeably interested in the course of events. Quinn gave Santana the thumbs up and she winked at her in reply. It was clear that the Latina had no problems with public appearances, she said a few words to the band and took a place in the middle of the stage, waiting for the music. Rachel's stern face fell the second Santana's voice filled the hall. Quinn ignored other people's dumbstruck expressions, completely captivated by the 'Bad Romance' cover that the brunette was aggressively belting out.

She did not dance anything effective, yet everyone could see that she felt on the scene like a duck in water. She was natural, expressive, and bold. She just owned it and people loved it. Except for Rachel who continued to stare with confusion. Quinn took unbelievable amount of pleasure in the performance, especially when Santana's eyes landed on her. And they frequently did. When she finished, loud cheers echoed through the auditorium.

"Santana, that was fantastic. Why didn't you come to us sooner? You're in!" The man exclaimed and the group rushed to welcome their newest member.

This time almost no one hesitated to pat the brunette on the back. Quinn was waiting for them to depart while Santana exchanged small talks and handshakes.

"That was pretty good. Glad to have you." Rachel quietly stated and took off. Mercedes rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry about her. She's just jealous. Aaaand nervous that she got another competitor. You nailed it."

"Competitor? I thought you are the diva in this club." The black girl laughed and did a fist bump.

"Hey, I like you! Together we can go far."

After some time everybody left and Santana faced Quinn with a smirk. Her dark eyes seemed warmer and chipper than usual. She thanked her for the jacket and brushed her sided ponytail with her fingers. The blonde did not miss her brief glance over her body.

"So, I guess that means we gonna see each other more often." Thank you, God.

"It looks like it. I'm really happy you decided to give it a shot. People already like you."

"They are a funny bunch and really talented. I'm looking forward to hang out together. You were right that I was biased, it all looked different from what I thought. It's gonna be fun." They walked down the desolated hallway, their footsteps resounding in the air.

"What changed your mind?"

"Seeing them , hearing them sing. Mostly you did, though. I came for you... And I wasn't disappointed in the slightest." She sent her a sweet smile. Quinn averted her eyes, she would never get used to it. "I would join even if I didn't like singing. Just to listen to you."

"I d-don't really sing that much, I'm not that good or confident like the others."

"Well, this gotta change cause the only person I wanna sing with is you." This year could not possibly get any better. "I was thinking, if you have time now maybe we could continue our assignment? The library is closed earlier today, but I'm home alone until the evening." Oh wait. It could.

She explained that she had all the materials on her laptop and since Quinn's sister gave her a lift in the morning, they went straight to Santana's place. The blonde informed her parents that she was staying for the dinner at friend's, and they took their time to play around in the kitchen. Both of them moved along to the radio tunes with laughter, despite the bad weather outside the window.

The house was slightly different from her own. The wooden porch was larger, the kitchen smaller and isolated. Everything was arranged in southern style with simple furniture, open space, and colorful plants. There was a small garden on the back for the social purposes and modern fireplace in the common room which was decorated with paintings and photographs. The narrow staircase led to the several bedrooms. Santana's room stood out – green walls with various posters, huge closet, wide bed covered with many pillows and blankets, book shelves above it, sofa by the low located windows with roller blinds, and stylish, small office desk. The most interesting thing was a cupboard with souvenirs and awards. It looked like a little altar representing periods of Santana's life.

"I guess we have finished."

"Yeah."

They softly stated after two hours of work, looking at the layout of their presentation. Quinn regretted that it was already over, and the look on Santana's face said something similar. She gathered the notes scattered around them on the sofa and turned off the music coming from her computer. It got fairly late which Quinn begrudgingly pointed out. When they went downstairs and got ready to leave (the brunette insisted on seeing her off), householders returned to meet them in the doorway.

Santana's parents turned out to be as positive as their daughter, not to mention the resemblance between them. They politely greeted her and exchanged a few words. Mrs. Lopez was especially nice to her and smiled brightly upon hearing Quinn's name, at what Santana nervously hustled her to leave.

"Goodbye, it was nice meeting you."

"Likewise, have a good night."

"We hope to see you again sometime."

The girls went outside and when the doors closed, Santana heavily sighed.

"Now they will torment me every day to invite you. I never understood why they love my friends so much."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"What? You visiting me as often as you can? Not at all." She smiled, bumping her arm. Quinn smiled back, but her pleased expression fell as the cold wind got under her blouse.

"Ugh, it wasn't that freezing in the morning." The blonde shivered and embraced herself in order to get warm.

"Here, take this." Santana took off her sports jacket, settling it on her shoulders. "It should be enough for this short distance. Not very warm, but windproof."

"But, but, but… What about you? I don't want you to get sick." She laughed melodically at her disapproval.

"Santana Lopez does not get sick. I'm hardened by years of exhaustive workouts in all weather conditions. Trust me, I will be fine." Quinn sent her last disbelieving look, giving up in the end. She snuggled into the soft material, constantly feeling pleasant.

"Thank you."

"No problem, you look better in it than me." Sweet baby Jesus. Where was a voice recorder when she needed it?

The street was faintly illuminated by the lanterns. Autumn was felt in the evening air as the wind moved the remaining leaves on the trees. The sky was dark, covered with grey clouds which foreshadowed rain.

"Summer has just ended and I already want it back. I hate such weather." Santana remarked, making a face. "The weekend was nice, but it changes with every minute. That reminds me... I'm sorry for keeping away since Sunday. I wanted to show up outta nowhere and surprise you."

"That explains things. It's alright, although you had me worried a little. I assumed that you were ill or busy." She smirked.

"What did I tell you, Q? Santana Lopez does not get ill. And I will always have time for you." She was certain that the brunette had no idea of what she was doing to her. There was no other explanation for her behavior.

They got to her house's threshold in surprisingly short period of time. Like several days earlier, they turned towards each other to say goodbye. Quinn hated it, disregarding the fact that they will see each other at school in less than twelve hours. Santana was cheerful as usual.

"I don't know what glee will look like, but I feel that I won't regret my decision. The coach will kick my ass for taking up another class, but who cares. You should reorganize your schedule too."

"What for?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. The brunette cracked a grin.

"Forgot? You gonna teach me to dance."

Santana waved at her and departed without any discussion. After a few seconds, Quinn grasped that she was supposed to come in, instead of standing awkwardly all night in front of her house. When she wanted to undress, she realized that she was still wearing the black jacket with embroidered number nine on her back. Not perfectly aware of her actions, she briefly sniffed it's collar and almost moaned with delight. It smelled incredibly good. Not sweetly, not manly, or spicily. Just… exactly right.

Vibrations in her pocket shook her out of reverie. She read the message which made her knees go weak.

_S: Keep the jacket for now. You look cute in it. But then, you always look cute :)_


	6. Enchanted

**A/N: Rambling **[I can't express my disappointment with 100th episode. If Quinntana is your ultimate OTP or you just hate illogical bullshit, I advise you against watching it. This was probably the first time I really regretted seeing a damn TV show. I was feeling sick for the entire day, seriously. (I already have an idea for the fic to fix this mess though) I should really get started writing for QW14 . ] **end of rambling.  
**About fic: Thank you for your sweet reviews and amazing number of follows. You're the best and I hope I make you happy as much as you make me. There will be a breakthrough soon, promise.

Disclaimer: I'm so done with those who own Glee.  
The lyrics of "_On My Way_" belong to Lea Michele.

* * *

The rest of the week passed in a blur. Santana took her jacket back with a strange, unwilling expression, but laughed it off by saying that she needed to buy Quinn one. Glee club was getting ready for the school performance as Brittany joined, encouraged by possibility of dancing. Despite the grim weather, everything seemed bright and happy. And the reason behind this endless summer feeling was a girl.

Whenever she could, Santana showed up on the driveway in the mornings and Quinn could not remember the last time she actually drove her car. Although she still felt uncomfortable under people's curious glances at school, she loved the brunette's attention, direct or not. Little by little, she discovered Santana's many sides, intrigued by each one. Subtle and sweet, daring and bold, funny and carefree. She began to ignore the fact that they hardly knew one another because it didn't feel like it at all. Which was frightening and exciting at the same time.

They chose two days a week for casual dance course after the classes. None of them had a proper place for it at home, so Santana made sure that they had a small gym classroom at their disposition. She was really thrilled about it until Quinn turned on the music and faced her.

"Let's start with some basic moves. For now we will practice separately."

"Uhm… suddenly I'm not so sure it was such a good idea." Her alto voice was unusually meek. The blonde smiled at her.

"Everything is going to be alright. It's nothing comparing to a crazy rollercoaster ride."

"Yeah, but I'm really clueless about this stuff. Promise you won't laugh."

"Why would I? We all start from scratch. You are musical which means that you will grasp it all quickly. Perhaps even like it." Santana sent her one of those looks as if she got an interesting thought.

They went over a few fast dance moves to rest a bit learning the slow ones. Quinn shyly suggested English waltz since it was very simple. She showed her the steps and stretched out her hand.

"Want to try it in pair?" The other girl wordlessly took her hand and looked at the other, probably wondering where to place it. "I will take the lead. Here." Quinn directed Santana's free hand on her arm, feeling how pleasantly warm it was. Focus.

"O-kkay. Now what?"

"Listen and feel." Music started again and she embraced her waist, leaving some space between them. She'd possibly gone mad if Santana stood closer to her.

Within a few seconds they caught the rhythm, swaying to slow tempo. Both of them smiled at each other, controlling their steps.

"See? You're doing great. Imagine how good you will be after several weeks." The blonde praised her, trying not to get lost in those brown pools.

Santana must have relaxed a bit for she leant forward, reducing the distance between them. She closed her eyes in joy, her features calm. Quinn got reminded why such closeness was dangerous – she could smell her perfumes, shampoo, or whatever she was using that was so enticing.

"So… you are single, but do you like anyone?" The brunette asked after a while. The look in her eyes was soft. She internally panicked at the question, lying was not her strong suit.

"Maybe. You?"

"Wow, elusive much?" Santana laughed, and after a short pause nodded. "Yes." Quinn started freaking out even more. She wanted to ask dozens of questions, but she only managed to stutter one.

"Does she like you back?"

"_This_ I'm trying to figure out."

What did that even mean.

* * *

Several things happened. Frances left (despite her sister's complains) wishing her courage, Quinn and Santana aced their literature assignment, and… somewhere in the middle of November Santana actually did get sick. She texted her that it wasn't anything serious, yet she couldn't risk being outdoors for a day or two. Quinn being a good friend decided to show up at her place to leave her notebooks. She was greeted by Mrs. Lopez who invited her inside.

"That's so sweet of you. I know you want to see each other, but Tana is sleeping and you better not to catch something too. This is unbelievable that the coach forces them to exercise when it got so wet and windy."

"No problem, I don't want to disturb her. I hope she gets well soon."

"Luckily it's just a cold, she should be fine in no time. Do you want some tea honey?"

"No, thank you ma'am. I should go, please send her my greetings."

After the dinner she engrossed in overdue homework. Since October she had been quite busy, there was so much going on in her life. It was hard to deny that a certain someone had a lot to do with it. Quinn smiled to herself at the thought, feeling pleasant sensations in every nerve of her body. She was going through her history materials when the window of video chat popped up on her laptop screen, informing about the incoming call. Seeing the ID, she smoothed out her hair and glanced over her room to check whether it was presentable.

"Hey." Santana was sitting casually on her bed in an oversized hoodie. Her dark locks were disarrayed and she seemed a bit pale, yet to Quinn she looked perfect. She always looked perfect.

"Hello. How are you feeling?"

"Never better." She answered with a raspy chuckle. "But seriously, I've been a lot worse. Thanks for the notes. Tomorrow or later I will be back at school, hopefully. I'm bored to death here."

"Can I help you somehow?"

"Perhaps." Through the screen it was hard to tell, but the brunette's eyes seemed to gleam playfully. "You could stay with me here for a while since I can't see you face-to-face." How someone so wild and intense could be simultaneously that smooth? Although it might have been cheesy or lame, Quinn was falling hard.

"Sure, I have time." She pushed aside her books.

"Hey, you once told me that you write, right? Maybe you could send me some of your works? I'd really like to read them."

"I don't know… they are not finished…"

"Please?"

"Okay." She was a sucker for puppy eyes. "I will send you a couple."

"Awesome! Alright, enough chatting about me. I want to hear how your day has been."

They talked until the moon appeared on the dark sky.

* * *

The school's anniversary was drawing near. Everyone in glee club was working hard, making sure that their first performance was flawless. They decided to sing only one number, but sufficiently balanced to show every musical aspect. It was a mash-up of two different songs, a famous Broadway ballad and a contemporary hit. There were no soloists, because the teacher insisted on showing the choir as a group, not individuals.

The ceremony was held in the biggest gym hall, and after the speeches, different school circles provided entertainment for the audience. They waited behind the curtain, exchanging nervous glances. It was all or nothing, considering their future appearances or tournaments. Quinn wasn't hiding her anxiety. Singing in front of her friends was something completely different from singing in front of the entire school. Santana was standing beside her and squeezed her hand with a reassuring smile.

It went better than everyone probably expected. During the popular chorus, students sang along with them despite their shock to notice Finn, Brittany, and Santana on the stage. Although there were no solos, everyone got their special moment. People went crazy hearing their sports stars hitting the notes.

"We were awesome."

"Did you see them?"

"That was great."

"How about a little hangout in Lima Bean now?" Mercedes suggested when they left the scene, and the answers were enthusiastic.

The entire crew sat at the rounded table, occupying every inch of space. Santana was almost sitting on her lap since there was no room for additional armchairs. She was so close that Quinn was certain she could sneak an arm around her waist without anybody noticing. It was tempting, yet she managed to resist it. The brunette on the other hand did not care about anything. She took a sip of her favorite drink and casually put her arm around Quinn's shoulder, pressing them further together.

"You don't mind? There is seriously no space for my hand."

The blonde shook her head. Of course she didn't mind. Good Lord, it wasn't even her birthday. She glanced over Santana's features merely inches from hers and bit her lip. Bad move. The dark orbs immediately flickered to her mouth and back to her eyes, some unreadable sparkle in them. Quinn's heart picked up the tempo and her stomach twisted into a knot. When she managed to avert her eyes from Santana's smile, she caught Mercedes's raised eyebrow and Kurt's smirk across the table.

* * *

Regardless of glee's successful performance, nobody new showed up to join. Or so they thought. During one of the classes, Finn entered the choir room with a big smile on his face, followed by a bunch of his football buddies. Everyone stared with wide eyes while Santana jumped off the chair to greet them.

"Hell yeah! What took you so long guys!" She fist bumped the tall Asian and the blond boy standing next to him.

"Hey, I told you that we gotta see what's this club is about first." Noah stated, looking around the room. "This place needs some serious redecorating."

"Nice to know that you came to your senses." Finn patted his back.

"Well, we had enough of harassment from you and her. And your performance looked good, so… why the heck not."

"Guys, so glad to see you here. This is rather a surprise. Welcome and please introduce yourselves to the rest of the group." Mr. Shuester invited them to step closer.

Sam Evans, Mike Chang, and Noah Puckerman (who preferred being called just Puck) looked out of place. In sports jackets, muscular, and good-looking men did not quite fit to that little outcast room, especially given the fact that the football team was not particularly friendly towards other people. Apart from those selected few. As a welcome they performed together a funny rockabilly number, which was surprisingly good. Everyone exchanged happy glances. That was the beginning of something good.

* * *

After a few days of integration, boys decided to throw a party for glee club solely. Puck invited everyone for the night at his place, promising free drinks and good music. Quinn took her car in order not to get accidentally drunk and arrived later than expected because she had difficulties with finding the way. When she finally pulled into the crowded driveway, she checked over the house a few times. It didn't look like a private party was going on there. The loud music was pounding, different people were hovering outside, the lights were switching on and off. With a sigh, she squeezed through the doorway and found a separated wardrobe to hang her coat and scarf.

She started looking around to find her friends in the crowds of unfamiliar, amused faces. Sam and Mercedes flashed before her eyes before they disappeared into the kitchen. In the hallway corner, Artie was intensely discussing something with Finn and Quinn wondered how they could hear themselves. Intoxicated people were passing her by, their laughter mixed with pulsating tunes. She entered the common room which seemed to be less occupied than the rest of the house. Her eyes looked up and down from person to person when she spotted Santana, Tina, and Mike with cups in their hands. The brunette was wearing a loose white top with V-cuts on the front and back, along with her traditional pair of skinny pants and black Martens. Her face, partially hidden by locks, slowly turned in Quinn's direction and she smiled. That was one of those personal smiles sent across the room as if it was specially directed at her.

"_And my heart's too drunk to drive_

_I should stay away from you tonight"_

The music was beating energetically in the background while Santana approached her.

"Hi, you made it!" She outshouted the noise.

"Yes, not without problems though. I don't know this area very well."

"Sorry about that. I couldn't stop by earlier, I had some stuff in downtown and later I got a ride straightforwardly here. I'm really sorry."

"It's fine, don't worry about it." Santana leant forward, trying to make out the words and smiled again.

"_But in this blackout state of mind_

_Baby all I want is you tonight"_

"You look great." Her eyes swiftly ran over her leggings, shorter than usual skirt, and buttoned, tight blouse with square neckline.

"Thanks, you too."

"Want to get something to drink? It's really stuffy here, I could use some fresh air."

The kitchen had the back entrance leading to the garden. They stood in the doorway, breathing the cold autumn air which was so exhilarating. Santana passed her a non-alcoholic drink and some snacks, chatting about Puck's indiscretion and his love for loud celebration. Watching how people walked around the place, they were switching the topics from fashion to embarrassing memories, contemporary music, favorite food, and bad habits. The party was going on in the distance, completely forgotten. Quinn looked out the glass door at the dark sky, unaware that Santana shortened the distance between until she felt a brush of fingers on her neck. The brunette was staring at the silver butterfly necklace in her hand.

"This is very pretty. Where did you get that?"

"My sister gave it to me, many years ago."

"You two must be close."

"Yes. I grew up with her… she was my best friend who taught me so many things, she was always there for me. She's a wonderful person and I'm grateful to have her in my life." Santana let go of the small piece of jewelry with a smile. Her eyes were nostalgic.

"That sounds real nice. Sometimes I wish I had siblings. On the other hand, I don't think we would get along. Such relationships like yours are extremely rare." She paused, looking at the cup she was holding.

"I suppose that's true. What about you?"

"When it comes to family I'm rather close to my cousins, but they're living in the damn Florida. Lucky bastards." She laughed and it felt like heaven. "I have abuela though, she could be my third parent or something."

After another short discussion about family tree, they decided to leave relatively early as everyone around got already wasted. The brunette checked where her friends were, yet she couldn't find anyone. She texted Brittany with hope that she was alright, informing that she was leaving. On their way to the car, Quinn was silently encouraging herself to man up. Before unlocking the doors, she faced Santana with the most confident expression she could pull out.

"Hey, do you want to come by my place? My parents will be back pretty late." Although it sounded rather unambiguously, Santana did not look at her in a funny way. At first she seemed caught off balance, yet she nodded her head, beaming.

With the brunette's directions it was easier to find the way back. Within a few minutes they arrived in front of the house and went in, feeling cold. Santana looked around the place while Quinn poured them some juice.

"Where are your parents?"

"Somewhere at their friends', I think. Do you want something to eat? I have a great salad."

"No, I'm good, thanks."

They went upstairs and the blonde apologized for no additional furniture to sit on. The other girl just rolled playfully her eyes and settled down on the bed's edge, stretching her legs.

"How on earth you manage to keep your room so tidy? Whenever I'm fixing it up, it is a mess the next day." Quinn shrugged, pulling her hair into a ponytail.

"I guess I'm a neat freak."

"This is another difference between us."

"Well, you know what they say about opposites…" She blurted out without thinking. A very slow smirk appeared on Santana's face.

"I do."

That seemed a good time to pull herself together. Quinn looked away to catch sight of her laptop and she got up to play some quiet music. The clock showed it was a little after eleven.

"I read your stuff. It's amazing. You should really do something with it."

"I'm happy to hear it, but it's nothing special." The Latina frowned.

"I'm serious. Don't waste your talent, you are brilliant Quinn."

She bit her tongue in the last second. There was nothing else she wanted more than to hear Santana say her name again. It sounded flawless on her lips. And she was the only person who called her like that.

"Thank you. I will think about it."

"You better. Now, how about some Netflix?"

When they finished watching random criminal episodes, it was past one. The wind was howling outside and Santana grimaced at the whistling sound. They were lying on the bed under the blanket, their backs against the pillows separating them from wall. It was warm, cozy, and Quinn did not want to move an inch, feeling the soft body next to her. She could stay that way forever.

"Time flies when you have fun. Thankfully, I told my folks I'll be probably late. Well, I gotta go, I'd hate to overstay my welcome. Thank you for tonight." That would be easier if she wasn't smiling so cutely. The blonde caught her wrist.

"Listen, it's the middle of the night and the weather is horrible. Please stay over? Tomorrow is Saturday, so unless you have some plans we could eat breakfast and I would drop you at your place."

"I don't know, it's kinda unannounced. Would your parents be okay with this?"

"They will be happy to host you, believe me."

"I don't want to burden you anyhow… I don't have anything with me."

"That's not a problem. We always keep a set of things specially for the guests." Santana looked at her hesitantly and Quinn secured her hand in her pale ones. "I'd really like you to stay, if you could."

"Alright, lemme just message my folks. They shouldn't make a problem out of this." They exchanged smiles.

"Great. Meanwhile I will prepare everything."

She gathered all necessary things and showed Santana what was where.

"If you feel uncomfortable with this, we have a guestroom and private bathroom down the hall."

"Don't be ridiculous, I could even sleep on the floor. All I need is a pillow and blanket. I'm not an implacable person."

"Well, you won't be definitely sleeping on the floor." Quinn walked to her wide set of drawers and pulled the lowest row to reveal a folding bed.

"Wow, this seems handy."

"You sure you don't want to take the guestroom?" She couldn't help but be insecure. Santana's features soften.

"Do you want me to?" There was a pause.

"No."

"Then we're settled."

Despite Santana's protests against using normal sheets for one night, Quinn made the bed and urged her to the bathroom, shoving into her hands pajamas. Hearing the water running down, she changed into her nightwear, trying not to focus too much on the images in her head at the combination of words 'Santana' and 'water'. She left the desk lamp on and started reading a book while waiting for the brunette to finish. Soon after the noises came from downstairs, implying that her parents returned. The doors opened and her mother peeked inside.

"Dear, why are you still up at this hour?"

"I'm sorry mom, we lost track of time."

"We?"

"After the party I invited Santana to stop by for a while and before we noticed it got really late. I offered her to stay over, is that okay?"

"Do her parents know that she's here?" Quinn nodded. "Then it's alright. But please go to sleep soon."

"Okay."

"And how was the party?"

"Not what I expected, but fine."

"I see. Good night then, don't stay up late."

When the woman left, Santana emerged from the bathroom with tangled, wet hair and oversized shirt reaching her mid-thighs. She was rubbing her head with a towel, and Quinn took advantage of her distraction to openly stare. The view was adorable, sexy, and a lot of other words she was unable to come up with since her mind wandered off.

"Was that your mom?" She asked, putting the cloth away.

"Uhh… uhm, yes." Staring. Was. Bad.

"Was she angry?"

"No, of course not. She said it's okay as long as we won't waste the night." Santana chuckled at her words and it took Quinn a moment to realize what she said. "Uhm, I'm going to the bathroom now."

"Ooookaaaayyy." The brunette sing-songed and sprawled on the bed.

She took a quick shower without washing her hair which still looked pretty good. Having carefully cleaned her face and teeth, she combed her hair, pulling it back into a ponytail. When she entered the room Santana was still lying on the bed, her beautifully shaped legs on display. She seemed to be sleeping, yet her eyes lazily opened when Quinn's bed creaked a little under her weight.

"This bunk is damn wonderful." She muttered, stuffing her face into the pillow. "And I get so sleepy after a few drinks that I'll be out like a light soon."

"We could use some sleep. It's very late after all."

"Thank you for tonight." She rolled over to look straight at her and Quinn did the same.

"You've already said that, although I'm not exactly sure why. Nevertheless, you're welcome."

"I'm gonna thank you every day for the rest of my life. Just… for… existing…" With those last words, she drifted off to sleep.

The blonde was listening to her deep, regular breaths with weary mind until she finally managed to fall asleep.

* * *

Quinn was awakened by fidgeting movements on her bed. She dazedly tried to make out in the dark what was going on, and she almost screamed noticing the body next to her. Santana was tossing under the sheets to find the most comfortable position, not slightly aware that she woke her up.

"S-Santana? What are you doing?" She murmured under her breath and the brunette abruptly stopped like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Uhm, sorry Q. I just got so cold back there that I couldn't sleep." The distance between them minimized as Quinn's heart rate increased.

"Ok-kay, do you want a blank—"

"What I want is heat exchange." Her raspy, low voice was right next to her ear and she could sense the brush of Santana's fingers on her face, sliding down to her neck.

"W-what?"

"Let me demonstrate." She leant in with a predatory grin. Quinn almost felt her soft lips when something outside crashed with a loud thud.

All of a sudden her eyes widely opened and got stung by the daylight. She looked around the room, squinting, and stopped at Santana's lying form on the bed across from her. The brunette was sleeping soundly as if nothing had happened, mumbling something in Spanish. Quinn slowly exhaled to calm her nerves down. That was not the first time she saw the brunette in her dreams, but they had never been so vivid.

She checked the time on her phone, it was around nine. Knowing that she would not get any more sleep, she grabbed some clothes from the wardrobe and locked herself in the bathroom for the morning routine. Cold water was soothing and took her mind off certain images. She quickly changed into her favorite blue dress and quietly closed the door.

"It's okay, I'm up." Sudden voice made her jump. She looked at Santana who was sitting on the edge, smiling. "Morning."

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Like a log. As I said, this mattress is marvelous." She stretched herself and a deep moan escaped her lips. It was the sexiest sound Quinn had ever heard. "I'm charged and ready! How about you?"

"F-fine…"

"Are you sure? You look quite flushed. You didn't drink last night, did you?" The brunette stood up to examine her face.

"No. I'm okay, really." Santana touched her forehead and frowned.

"You are hot." She was not the hot one in that room. "I… your skin is hot. Yeah. But you are also hot, so… uhmm… m-maybe you should take some pills, just in case. The flu season is around the corner." Hearing her ramble was unusual. And incredibly cute.

"I'm going to make breakfast. Go downstairs when you're ready."

Quinn did what she did best in that sort of situations. She took off.


	7. Sleepover

**A/N: **So happy that there are people who enjoy reading such light stuff. This chapter is just a short (was supposed to be) breaker before the next important one, I did not want to join them since there would be too many separated scenes. Your opinions are much appreciated and please, if you find any grammar mistakes or word misusing, feel free to point them out so in future I could avoid them. In advance sorry for weird description of places, I lack proper vocabulary.

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

* * *

Her face was still burning when she entered the kitchen. She managed to exchange a few words with her father before he left, and started making pancakes while her mother was bustling around the place to help her.

"Where is your friend, had she already left?"

"She's upstairs, we've just woken up."

The woman was talking again, but Quinn's mind was somewhere else. She scolded herself for being so timid, yet she couldn't help it. Santana was charming, smart, talented, and beautiful. In overall… she was way too good for her. And Quinn could not allow getting more attached. She absentmindedly finished mixing the ingredients when the brunette appeared and hopped on the bar stool.

"Need any help?" Right away the blonde caught the change in her cool voice.

"No, thanks. It's almost done. Help yourself with the coffee, on your right."

Santana started chatting with her mother and Quinn observed her out of the corner of her eye. She was smiling and behaving naturally, yet there was something off about her, she could sense it. Her dark eyes lacked their sparkle, her grin did not light up the room as usual. When they sat down at the table, Quinn _felt _the sudden restraint coming from her.

"Thank you for allowing me to stay the night, Mrs. Fabray. I meant no trouble."

"There was none. Lucy's friends are always welcomed here, especially considering how rarely it happens." The woman smiled. "So, tell me something Santana. From what I've gathered, you're the school's sports star?"

"I'm just a player who enjoys recreational activities. It's my second year, I'd hardly call myself a star."

"This is absurd. You are amazing on the field, everyone knows it. Team loves you." Quinn cut in to warm up the atmosphere, but the effect made her heart sink.

"Thanks." Santana replied with a half-smile before returning her attention to food.

There was definitely something wrong. She appeared to keep her distance, when several minutes before she was her typical cheerful self. What happened, did she get a troubling call or… Quinn almost dropped her fork. Santana was upset because of her. No wonder, she pushed her away again and run off without explanation. Boy, did she get all of it wrong. So wrong.

She looked again at her, seeing how different she seemed. That invisible to eye stiffness, she disliked it with passion. It had merely started and Quinn knew that she did not want it to last any second longer. As she thought, Santana was ready to leave right after breakfast. She gathered quickly her things ad thanked for hospitality.

"You're very welcome, I hope you visit again soon. Please give your parents our regards."

"Will do, ma'am." She smiled at the woman before she left to the common room and faced Quinn with uncertain look. "I know I said it, but thanks for the night. I cleaned everything up so hopefully you won't have much work."

"There was no need to do that."

"Yes, there was. Anyway, see you on Monday?" She put on her jacket.

"Wait, let me give you a lift."

"Unnecessary, you know how close I live. I'm gonna take a walk, fresh air would do me good." That hurt more than she expected.

"It's cold and it looks like it's going to rain. Please, I told you that I'd drop you off." Santana sighed, eventually nodding her head.

Quinn started the engine, wondering what to say. She felt stupid and confused, damn her lack of confidence. The brunette was nothing but a friend to her, and she was ruining it. When they stopped in front of the house, Santana turned towards her. She looked quite embarrassed and uncomfortable.

"Thanks for the ride. Have a nice weekend." The blonde got an impression that it wasn't what she wanted to say. Before the other girl grabbed the car handle, she locked the doors.

"Stop." Her breath was shaky. "I'm sorry for my behavior, I never mean to act the way I do. It's just… complicated." She couldn't tell her the entire truth. That she was scared, insecure, not good enough. That she chose to play it safe than to take chances.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me. I should be the one apologizing, I don't want you to ever feel awkward with me." Santana's expression softened as she looked straight into her eyes. Quinn shook her head.

"It never feels like that, being around you. On the contrary. I wanted to say… I really like spending time with you. I'm glad we are friends." She was, and at the same time, she was not. At that point there was no sense in denying that she was not satisfied with the term 'friends', yet she preferred to have Santana as her friend than not having her at all.

"The feeling is mutual. I only regret that we hadn't met sooner."

They smiled and the strange mood seemed to fade away. Quinn felt that the tan girl slightly relaxed and her dark eyes retrieved their spark. It made her heart lighter.

"So… any Sunday plans? I would like you to show me that archery club you have been talking about." Upon hearing her words Santana beamed like a night sky on New Year's Eve.

"I'd be more than happy to do so. I'm gonna text you today, alright? I need to check if posts are free."

Several more seconds passed until the brunette realized she was still in the car. She was about to open the door when she looked at Quinn again. In one, quick movement she reduced the distance and kissed her on the cheek. She lingered for a while to slowly pull back, her expression unreadable. With one last smile she left, her every move followed by the green pair of eyes. Right after the doors of the house closed Quinn let out a heavy sigh, feeling how her skin pleasantly tingled from the caress. She already missed that. She already missed her. Well, so much for her resistance.

* * *

The shooting range looked the way she had seen it in movies. Indoor facility was divided into several areas, each one dedicated to different weapon. Santana led her without any difficulties through the halls, her membership card opening all the doors. After selecting the most appropriate gear, they took the separated booth and the brunette showed her the ropes. She explained basic rules and stances applied to a compound bow, doing a little presentation on her own. Quinn watched her hit the target across the room as if it was the easiest task in the world.

"Wanna try?" She smiled with contagious enthusiasm.

"Don't expect much."

"We are here to have fun Q, remember that." Santana passed Quinn the bow and stood behind her to adjust the position. "Just like I've shown you. Arms secured, head steady, legs firm on the ground."

Her voice fell down to whisper as she gently embraced her body, guiding her movements. The blonde felt her slim, warm frame pressed against her back, their faces almost touching. Her hands were covered by the sun-kissed, definitely skilled (she blushed at the thought) ones.

"Okay. Now… focus, aim as I said, hold, let go."

Easier said than done. Quinn did what she was told and the arrow landed on the white boundaries of the shield.

"That's a start. At least you hit the target."

"Maybe if you weren't so distracting, I'd do better." She turned to send her a playful glare. Santana smirked.

"Oh, I'm distracting now, am I? How much?"

"Enough."

"Shall I take a few steps back then? I can, if you want me to." Two could play this game.

"The question is, do _you _want to?" Her brown eyes seemed to darken.

"I think that you know the answer."

"Do I?" Her pulse quickened seeing that she hadn't moved a muscle. They exchanged curious looks. "Good. I'll still need help with this."

Santana laughed and they continued to practice. Quinn had enough fun to ignore her tiredness, getting better results than previously. When she hit the red rim, the brunette patted her back with recognition.

"Look at you, Katniss Everdeen! You gonna be better than me in no time."

"I don't see that happening soon."

"Hopefully, we have all the time in the world."

That sounded like a promise.

* * *

"I'll be very disappointed with you Lucy Fabray if you don't keep me posted on what's happening between you two."

Kurt looped arms with her as they walked down the school corridor one afternoon to join their friends in the dining hall. Quinn frowned at his sudden statement.

"Between who?" She knew he rolled his eyes without looking at him.

"I won't be fooled that easy. You and our soccer star, who else. Don't be mad, I very much approve of your cute and overly friendly relationship."

"Why do you think there is anything going on?"

"Because I watched you both during several occasions. Other people may be oblivious, but I have an excellent radar. And you two are so gay with each other that it goes out of the scale."

"Kurt, this is seriously not the best time or place for such conversations." She replied cautiously, giving him a stern look.

"Look, I'd never tell anyone. I just want you to be honest with me. The thought that I might not be the only one non-heterosexual person here…" He sighed and Quinn understood how important it was to him.

"I know. However, so far there is nothing to tell. Really."

"From what I've seen, there _must_ be something. At least you both want it to be something." She glanced at him, the corners of her lips curling up a bit.

"Maybe."

He almost squealed and she tugged at his sweater to calm him down. In time she remembered that she had left her prepared lunch back in the locker. She told Kurt to go as she turned right to get it. When she struggled to open the lock, someone stood beside her.

"Hey. Sorry to bother you, but I'm completely lost. Could you help me out?" Hearing unfamiliar but smooth voice, she turned to look at the boy with disarrayed brown hair and warm eyes. She was certain she had never seen him before.

"Hi, what's the problem?" He smiled with embarrassment and she could not deny he looked cute.

"You look quite sensible so I thought you could give me some directions." Seeing her puzzled expression, he extended his free hand. "Right, this must be weird. I'm a transfer student from Oregon, my name is Keenan."

The brunet was average – not tall, bulky, or skinny. He had baby face and handsome jaw with no noticeable hair. The boyish clothes he wore did not stand out much and there was nothing disturbing about his appearance. In overall, he seemed to be a nice person.

"Nice to meet you. This is rather unusual time for transfers."

"Tell me about it… It's a very long story. Anyway, I don't know anybody here. No one made an effort to show me around and the classrooms are scattered about all over the damn place. I've been looking for..." He paused to look at the timetable in his hand. "Biology 414 for some time now."

"Understandable. It's close, but difficult to spot. Come, I will give you some directions." She grabbed her lunch-box and closed the locker.

"Thank you, I'm extremely grateful."

They walked through the northern section, passing the gym area and library. Keenan was looking around with confused expression as she was pointing out the most important rooms.

"Wow, I would certainly roam about until my death."

"Yes, the numbers are kind of random. Everyone had problems in the beginning, it's strange that you weren't given any assistance. Here we are, the class is right at the end of this hall, on your left." He smiled with relief.

"Thanks again. I sensed right whom to ask. If you don't mind, can I learn the name of my rescuer?"

"Lucy, sophomore year."

"Nice meeting you. I know I'm rather imposing, but is there any chance you will find some time in near future to show me the rest of the school? I got an impression that not everyone here is as helpful as you." Keenan's eyes were expectant but kind, and she couldn't find any reason to turn down his request.

"Sure, there is no problem. We will probably see each other around, so whenever you need help with something feel free to ask me. Or any teacher, unless they look busy. They hate any form of disturbance and as a new student, you should avoid getting on their nerves." He laughed, getting her point.

"I know what you mean. I guess that all high schools look the same. Alright, I won't trouble you any longer. Thanks again for your help, Lucy. Until next time." Quinn waved at him and he returned the gesture.

When she turned around to go to cafeteria she almost crashed into very serious looking Santana. The other girl's right shoulder was covered by compression wrap. Before she could express her shock, the brunette spoke in somber voice.

"Who was that?"

"Who? That guy whom I talked with?" Santana nodded her head, the dark eyes fixed at the boy's back until he disappeared from their view. "He's a new transfer student. What happened to your arm?"

"What did he want?"

"He needed help with finding the classroom. Santana, what's that thing, are you okay?" Quinn asked again with worry. The Latina sighed and patted her wrapped shoulder.

"Bruised. Had a collision during the training. Fortunately, it's not sprained or broken so I should be good in a few days or a week.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Does it hurt?" She took a closer look, stroking the spot. Santana cracked a smile which looked more like a grimace.

"Not so much anymore. Although the first feeling was a bitch." She noticed something behind Quinn's back and scowled. "What an asshole. I'll be right back."

She tried to locate the person Santana was storming at and she spotted one of the football guys walking with a red slushy in his hand. Before he could spill it over on the innocent group of chess players, the brunette stood in his way.

"What the hell you think you're doing Mark?"

"And how does it look like Lopez? Get outta my way." The heavy junior replied, trying to get around her. Santana's face hardened.

"If you cherish your life, I suggest you go back where you came from. And throw this cup away."

"Or what? You won't do shit, especially with that arm."

"Trust me, I'll still be able to kick your stupid ass, injured or not. Now, are you gonna be a good boy and turn back or we do this the hard way?" She leant forward a little and everything in her posture screamed 'warning, danger!'

Quinn was strangely turned on as she watched the scene together with the whole corridor of students. The guy named Mark gave her a dirty look, but moved back.

"Screw this. You're lucky that I don't want to waste time on you or that bunch of losers."

"No, it is you who is lucky that I'm in a fairly good mood to let you go. I already warned you, didn't I? Now move, before I change my mind." He snickered, and with one last glare took off.

Excited murmurs filled the air while Santana walked to her, not touched by the situation in the slightest. As much as it all was pretty amazing, Quinn couldn't hold back her concern.

"What you did was incredible, but you shouldn't engage yourself in fights. Guys like him can hurt you. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you." She smiled at her words and reached for her hand.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it. Firstly, they are cowardly pussies. Secondly, I have a black belt in karate." Quinn frowned.

"You do?"

"Nah. But nobody needs to know it."

They smiled and headed to the lunchroom. Having exchanged greetings with everyone at 'glee table', they sat down to eat quickly in the last free minutes before the bell. The blonde discretely noticed that it wasn't easy for Santana to do everything with one hand. She cursed under her breath, struggling with the bottle.

"Let me help you." Quinn opened the lid, hearing her sigh.

"Thanks Q. This thing sucks, I don't know how I will survive those next days. Did you know, my parents booked a non-refundable trip to Toronto, they're leaving today. And my gram's in Florida on some family visit. Generally… I'm fucked."

"So you are home alone the entire time? That's not good. I could drop by every day and help you with some stuff, before and after school. What do you say?" Santana looked at her with emotion in her eyes.

"You would really do that for me?"

"Of course. You're my friend and I care about you, San."

It just slipped her lips, effortlessly. The diminutive that seemed to be so perfect for her. To Quinn, Santana resembled the sun. Bright, warm, full of life, dazzling, intense, radiant. Especially when she smiled so sincerely at her, like the way she did upon hearing her words.

"You're the best. I have no idea how I'm going to repay you for everything."

The blonde shook her head and caught Kurt's happy expression across from her.

* * *

Before Santana was picked up by her father after the lessons, they arranged that Quinn would stop by around the evening. She returned home and during the dinner talked with her parents about her offer to help the girl. Her mother suggested that she could as well stay over those several days until Santana's family returned. Quinn did not deny that it was really tempting, yet she did not want to take advantage of her friend's condition and hospitality.

When she drove up to the house, it looked like everyone already left. Only one light was on in the room upstairs. Santana must have heard her car since she opened the door sooner than Quinn could press the doorbell. They moved around the kitchen preparing drinks and talking about ideas for Regionals. Seeing how the brunette attempted to do stuff without overstraining her shoulder, she took her glass and pointed at the chair.

"Sit. You need to rest. I can handle this."

"Quinn, this is just a minor damage, I'm not on the verge of dying. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." She sent Santana a glare which said that she was having none of it.

"Really? That's not what you told me. Do you want something to eat?"

"Maybe I can't do _everything_, but there is no need for you to babysit me." Stubborn as ever.

"It's not babysitting, it's helping. Now please sit down and let me do this for you. That's why I'm here."

"No, I don't want you to serve me. You're here… for other reasons."

Silence fell between them and Quinn returned to prepare her snacks. Santana watched her with embarrassed look, clearly not happy with the course of events, yet after a while she told a funny anecdote and just like that they were laughing again. Sitting in the common room with some music videos playing in the background, they went over homework and before they realized, it got pretty late. The brunette invited her to her room and asked for assistance with her arm.

"I need to take it off, change clothes, and put on again."

"Isn't it overcomplicated?"

"Yeah, but there is no other way. I can't wear it permanently, it doesn't fit under shirts."

Santana explained how the wrap worked and the blonde helped her to remove it. She unzipped her blouse to reveal another bandage around her shoulder and nothing except her strapless bra. Quinn politely looked away from her sculpted-like stomach while she turned around to unclasp it. She kept in mind to open the window whenever the Latina changed.

"Could you pass me that shirt on the sofa? I can't wear much stuff or any tops that are put over the head."

She took the buttoned plaid shirt and carefully settled it on her naked body. Santana hissed a few times when moving her arm through the sleeve, which was not surprising. The injury looked serious, still, beside the huge bruise her back was beautiful. Quinn couldn't help sliding delicately her fingers down her spine, feeling the smooth flesh under the fingertips. The other girl fixed her shirt and turned around.

"Thanks. It feels good to take that thing off once in a while. Unfortunately, I have to always wear it for those few next days."

They immobilized her shoulder back and Santana heavily sighed, tiredness painted on her exotic face. Quinn sat beside her on the bed and brushed her dark locks which were pulled sloppily into a braid.

"Do you mind if I do your hair?"

"No, I'd like that. If you could get my brush from the bathroom… meanwhile I'd change my pants." The blonde stood up, throwing a look at her jeans.

"You need help with them?"

"Thanks, but I will handle it." Somehow she felt grateful that she didn't have to endure another striptease.

Within a minute she returned from the bathroom in the hallway and began combing her silky strands. She had wanted to do that since she laid eyes on her, the brunette was probably not aware how admirable her hair was. And it felt in her hands even better. Santana sighed again, this time with delight.

"That feels so good." Quinn hoped that she wouldn't moan.

"Really? I hate when people touch my hair. Generally speaking, I'm rather sensitive to touch." She turned slightly her head to give her a curious look.

"Does that mean you are ticklish?"

"Why?" She narrowed her eyes and a huge grin brightened Santana's face.

Before she had any chance to react, Quinn ended up lying on the soft sheets, squirming under the roaming tan fingers with laughter. The other girl was laughing with her, yet for different reasons. She tried to push Santana's hands away, without effect.

"S-san… tana… stop it… I'm serious…" Quinn mumbled between forced chuckles.

"Little Quinnie is ticklish, how precious."

"Enoouugh, I beg… yooouu…"

"Spoilsport."

She opened her eyes to see Santana leaning over her body, her smiling face just inches from her own. At that distance, she seemed to be even more captivating. To avoid looking at her extremely alluring lips, she focused on the brown pools of warmth staring back at her. She wished that affectionate look in her eyes would last forever.

All of a sudden Santana lost her balance and managed to mutter 'oh shit' before she fell awkwardly on her, grunting with pain. She rolled over on her back and touched the harmed shoulder.

"Well, that wasn't pleasant." Quinn couldn't repress giggling.

"You see? God has punished you for tormenting me."

"Don't even start, Fabray."

They were lying in silence, staring at the colorful ceiling. The blonde hadn't noticed it before, but Santana had glued a set of stars above her bed, those funny ones which glowed in the dark. She smiled at the image in her head, it must have looked quite pretty during the night. The brunette entwined her free arm with hers and she felt immediately warmer.

"Maybe… maybe you could stay for a couple of days? Or at least tonight?" She asked calmly and Quinn turned her head to look at her. "I don't want to be alone. I feel like that too often… I have so many friends, those less and more important, and for the most part I'm still alone. It blows."

She understood her every word. As much as she loved her close relationships, there was always something missing. Something out of order. Quinn grasped her hand, making Santana's eyes fix on her.

"I will stay as long as you want me to."

Despite the brunette's whining protests, she returned home to gather several necessary things and to talk with her parents. She rolled her eyes at their advice against parties and quickly got back to Santana's place. The Latina managed to set another quilt for her and apologized for no other place to sleep apart from her wide bed. Quinn just shrugged (not making any comment about sofa's existence), stating that it was not a problem for her. On the inside she was both freaking out and jumping with joy.

They settled comfortably to watch the newest episode of their criminal show, nibbling on yogurt with fruits. After bathroom rounds Santana turned off the lights and laid by the wall, making enough space for her. Quinn tried to keep her distance, yet the second she relaxed, an arm was wrapped around her waist. The other girl didn't care at all about space as she snuggled against her and whispered goodnight.

She fell asleep surrounded by Santana's warmth and her exquisite smell.


End file.
